It Might Be Luck
by r o t t e n - p e a c h
Summary: Fourteen-year-old Dawn has just begun her journey as a Pokémon Trainer, thanks to Professor Rowan. Taking the Sinnoh League challenge, she aims to make a name for herself. What are her chances of success? Following Platinum with a twist. Cynthia/Dawn!
1. Twinleaf: Prologue

**A/N:** I thought I'd try my hand at writing an actual fic. I was inspired by numerous authors on the site. My experience primarily comes from role-playing but I haven't been doing that for months. I hope that this isn't too horrific. The main reason why I decided to write this story was due to the lack of Cynthia/Dawn stories. As a _huge_ fan of Girlpowershipping, I felt that this was a must. It'll also be a long-term story that I aim to have multiple chapters for. Your encouragement and reviews are welcomed but I would continue to produce new chapters regardless. My goal is to increase the number of good quality stories for this pairing after all.

Thus, I hereby dedicate this story to all the deprived Girlpowershippers out there!

Oh, and anyone! Please feel free to notify me of any mistakes, grammar, or otherwise. I will fix it up ASAP.

BTW, if the first chapter seems boring to you, it's fine to start off with the second. Hopefully it'll seem a little better then. You'd still get the gist of things.

_Disclaimer_: The majority of the work is mine but _I did use some lines from Platinum_, to stick to the story. This won't be a problem in the later chapters.

* * *

**Prologue**

_The screams of the crowd echoed throughout the stadium. Some were cheering me on, calling my name. Others were simply roaring out of excitement. It was not everyday that one got to view a championship match after all. However, I could not hear their voices. I was already in a whole other world of my own. In that realm, the only beings who accompanied me were my Pokémon and that woman. We were fighting; I did not know what she was fighting for, but I simply wanted to win; to experience the ultimate victory._

_My opponent and I were both down to our last one. In an epic clash between our Pokémon, a cloud of smoke and dust formed, obscuring the battlefield. As it began to fade, I glimpsed at the silhouette of my opponent, who stood absolutely still._

"And the winner is--"_  
_

* * *

_  
Beep. Beep. Beep. Be—_

"Aw, this one was getting good."

Dawn lifted her hand off of her Piplup-shaped alarm clock, looking at it with contempt. Ignoring the time, she remained in bed. She had been experiencing similar themed dreams such as this rather frequently during the past few days. They all some how had cliff-hanger endings—a fact that she found rather disappointing. She never did get to see the features of the trainer she was battling against. She also never got to see the Pokémon she was using either. In reality, she actually did not even possess a single one. She was _not_ a Trainer.

Sighing, Dawn got up from her bed and made her way toward the bathroom, where she began her usual morning routine. Well, not quite usual, as it was currently Saturday. She did not have school.

"_Dawn! Your friend wanted to see you!_"

"Okay, mom!" Slipping on her signature white hat, Dawn finished the last of her ensemble and hastily made her way downstairs.

"_Pokémon are by our side, always. I hope you will understand the meaning of those words."_

_That was the comment left by Prof. Rowan, who has returned to Sinnoh from the Kanto region._

"What are you watching, mom?" Dawn asked curiously, passing by her mother who was sitting on the couch.

Joanna turned off the TV as the credits began to roll. "Oh, it was an episode of 'Let's Ask Prof. Rowan'. You do remember him, don't you?"

"…Of course I do! He's a very famous and important scientist!" The thirteen-year-old replied, helping herself to some juice in the refrigerator. "He studies Pokémon evolution or something like that."

Her mother nodded. "That's right. And I've also heard that he will be visiting the area, for research. It might be good if you—"

"Hey! Finally!"

Both Dawn and Joanna turned toward the direction of the voice. It belonged to none other than Dawn's hyperactive, best friend, Pearl. He exited from the guest bathroom and immediately made his way to the navy-haired girl.

"Didn't you hear? Prof. Rowan's visiting the lake!" He began eagerly. "I'll bet you he has tons of Pokémon—maybe he'll even give them away! You know what that means don't you!?"

Dawn raised an eyebrow. "Pearl, I don't think that he'll just—"

"C'mon! We have to hurry! He could be there right now!" The blonde interrupted. "I'll wait outside. If you're late, I'll fine you $1 million!" Before waiting for a reply, he was already out the door, calling back a short 'thanks' for bathroom usage.

Dawn sighed while Joanna laughed. "Why don't you go ahead Dawn? This _is_ the year after all."

Usually Pokémon Trainers began their journey at the age of ten but that was not the case for Dawn. Joanna had opted to sending her daughter to the local schoolhouse instead, deciding that education was as equally important—despite Dawn's protests. It was after Dawn graduated from middle school that Joanna finally gave in. Of course, the majority of the other kids in Twinleaf Town had left ages ago, leaving Dawn alone with Pearl. The blond's mother had thought along the same lines as Joanna, regardless of her son's impatient pestering.

After waiting for so long, Dawn was not quite sure how to react. The means of obtaining a Pokémon and raising it properly were rather intimidating now; it had seemed so easy and carefree back when she was ten! She inwardly resented her mother slightly for that but she understood where Joanna was coming from. After all, Dawn's father had never returned after many years; he too wished to become a Pokémon Trainer.

"Dear?"

Snapping out of her reverie, Dawn returned to the present. "Oh, um…okay. I'll be back in awhile," She answered, heading towards the door.

"Remember not to enter the tall grass! Wild Pokémon might attack you," added Joanna. "And since you don't _have_ one of your own yet…"

"I'll remember, mom!" Dawn called back as she closed the door.

Joanna sighed as the door shut. _How very much like you she is._ _I suppose there really is nothing I can do much longer..._

***

Outside, Dawn stepped onto the path and searched for her friend. However, he was nowhere in sight. Walking past the meager piles of dirty snow, Dawn asked a local if he had seen the blond.

"I think he's at his house."

"Thanks," She replied with a smile before heading to the said location.

As she reached for the knob however, the door swung open on its own, sending her best friend plowing into her. Managing to stay on her feet, Dawn frowned; though Pearl beat her to the punch.

"What was that about!?" He yelled, before realizing who it was. "Hey, Dawn! I'm going to see Prof Rowan! You should come too! And quickly!"

Again, before she could reply, he began to rush off; however, this time he paused, only to remember that he had forgotten something.

"Aw, crud. Hold on," He said shortly, disappearing back inside his house.

Dawn fixed her hat and wearily followed suit. Greeting his mother before following Pearl upstairs, she now found him stuffing a journal into his bag.

"Alright! Let's get going!" He declared. "I'm charging you $1 million if you're late!"

"Pearl!" Dawn cried, side-stepping as the 14-year-old charged down stairs.

***

"Too slow!"

Dawn eyed her best friend with hints of annoyance as he stood waiting for her at the edge of town. Sometimes, she could not understand how she kept up with him for all the years they have been together.

"…I'm not going to say anything," She murmured.

Oblivious, the blond grabbed her by the wrist, pulling her forward—to the tall grass. "Alright! To Prof. Rowan's lab!"

Dawn gave him a look that said '_you know better than that_', causing him to pause. "…What? Don't go into the tall grass, right?" Pearl grinned. "No worries! No problem! It doesn't matter that we don't have any Pokémon."

"How can it not matter!?" Dawn cried.

"Trust me on this one," he answered. "I've got an idea! Now listen. You know how wild Pokémon jump out at you? We'll just dash through using stealth—we'll move through fast so they don't get the chance!"

The younger girl cringed at the idea. "That doesn't sound…"

"Just follow me!" He said, backing off for a running charge. "Okay, on your marks…get set…"

"Pear—"

"Hold it!" A man roared.

Pearl and Dawn stopped in their tracks, turning to face him. They knew they were probably going to be in for it, but they were never expecting to see Professor Rowan!

"You two don't seem to have any Pokémon between you?" The old man began. Both shook their heads. "Then, what is he meaning of going into the tall grass!?"

An uneasy silence formed amongst them; part of it was due to disbelief…on Dawn and Pearl's part anyway.

Pearl was the first to speak, whispering to Dawn, "Hey…this old guy's Prof. Rowan isn't he? What's he doing _here_?"

Dawn sighed. "Either way, what makes you think that he'll give us Pokémon _now_?"

Catching bits and pieces of the kids' conversation, Professor Rowan stood still, his mind swimming with thoughts. _They tried to go into the tall grass because they wanted Pokémon… Hm…what to do…? Their world would surely change if they were to meet Pokémon… Is it right for me to put them on that path…?_

As if making up his mind, he spoke abruptly, his eyes meeting Dawn's. "You two…you truly value Pokémon, do you?"

"…I do."

"Me, too! I love Pokémon, too!"

His moustache gave a slight twitch. "I will ask you once again. You truly do, don't you…?"

"What!?" Pearl cried suddenly, as if the older man was insulting his mother. "You can ask a hundred times! The answer will never change! We'll both answer a hundred times the same way! Right, Dawn?"

The navy-haired girl nodded firmly, meeting the professor's gaze confidently. "That's right."

The old man's eyes narrowed slightly. "…A pair of reckless kids who foolishly try to enter tall grass without Pokémon of their own…? It worries me what people like that would do with Pokémon."

Pearl slightly faltered. "Well, uh…I…" Shaking his head, he pulled Dawn over by the sleeve. "Well, then forget about me but give a Pokémon to my friend here!"

"Pearl…"

He continued slowly, releasing his hold on his friend's arm. "I mean, it was me who tried to go into the tall grass and all…"

The professor looked mildly surprised. "How big of you…" However, his face broke out into a warm smile afterward. "Very well then! I will entrust you two with Pokémon! I apologize for putting you through that exercise."

Upon hearing his words, both Pearl and Dawn breathed a sigh of relief. Though their smiles could not finish forming before the professor added a 'however'.

"You must promise me that you will never recklessly endanger yourselves again," He stated sternly. Both kids nodded. "Hm…now where…?"

Pearl and Dawn looked at one another questioningly. Professor Rowan seemed like he was looking for something. As if he was waiting for his cue, a boy about their age came down the path, carrying a rather large suitcase; though his most distinguishable feature was the red beret atop his head.

"Professor Rowan," The boy began. "You left your briefcase at the lake!" Upon spotting Dawn and Pearl, he also added, "Oh? Is something wrong here?"

The old man seemed pleased to see the boy. "Ah! There it is! Lucas, nice work," To answer his assistant's question, he replied, "What I was about to do was to entrust these two with their own Pokémon."

Lucas blinked. "Pardon!? Those Pokémon are hard to replace… Are you sure about giving them away?"

Pearl scowled upon hearing the dark-haired boy's words but Professor Rowan smiled. "We exist side by side with Pokémon. There comes a time when people should meet Pokémon. There is a world that should be explored together. For them, today is that time. The place, right here."

Seizing the briefcase, he held it open for Dawn and Pearl. "Go on! Choose!"

Pearl could not believe his ears. "Prof. Rowan! You don't know how hard it is to keep a straight face right now!" Grinning, he turned to his friend. "Hey, Dawn. You can choose first."

"Are you sure? 'Cause I don't—" She began.

The fourteen-year-old crossed his arms. "Hey, I'm practically a grown-up. I have to show some class here."

With a light nod, Dawn proceeded to look into the briefcase. Inside were various papers, along with three Poké Balls. _Er…how would I know what Pokémon is in which?_

"You can choose between a Turtwig, a Chimchar, or a Piplup," Professor Rowan said kindly, noting her expression.

"Mm, then I will choose…" Dawn continued, picking up the ball on the right. "…Piplup."

"Alright! Then I'll just take this Chimchar here!" Declared Pearl, grabbing the middle ball.

Smiling, Professor Rowan closed the briefcase. "Very well then. I'm afraid I must be leaving now. I'm rather busy today, you see." Taking a few steps ahead, he paused to add, "You two ought to visit my lab tomorrow. I promise you won't regret it."

Both children nodded, watching as the white-haired man took his leave. It was when the boy named Lucas brushed past them that Pearl and Dawn came back to their senses.

"I'm sorry…Please let me pass," He said, jogging to catch up to the older man.

Pearl stood still for a moment. "Prof. Rowan's actually pretty nice, isn't he? On TV, he seems so stern and scary."

"…And you were still going to ask him for a Pokémon?" Dawn replied, smiling lightly.

"Heh heh…man! We've both got one now though!" The blond grinned. "There's only one thing to do, right? Are you up for this?"

Dawn raised an eyebrow. "Uh, sure, what do you want to do now?"

"I've always wanted to say this…" His smile only seemed to widen. The next thing Dawn knew, Pearl declared, "The time has finally come! Dawn! I challenge you to a battle!"

Touching the center button on the Poké Ball, he sent out a fiery orange ape-like creature. It emitted a shrill cry as it took its place on the field, facing Dawn. As if sensing the situation, her Poké Ball seemed to take action on its own. With a flash of light, a blue penguin Pokémon leapt out, standing before its owner.

"I didn't even—"

"Alright! Let's do this!" Pearl interrupted. "Chimchar, use Scratch!"

"Hey, that's—" She began again. However, Dawn was cut off once more as her Piplup instinctively avoided the attack. "…Okay… Er, attack back! No wait, that's not right…use Pound!"

Pearl grinned. "Nice try, Dawn, but I don't think so!"

They both watched as Chimchar easily avoided Piplup's strike. Seizing the moment, Pearl issued another Scratch command. This time, it hit its target, sending the penguin Pokémon back a few steps.

"Ha, ha! I've got this one!" He declared triumphantly.

***

"Whew…let's go home."

"I thought you were having fun?"

The blond ruffled his wild hair. "Not after _that_."

"Oh c'mon, it was best out of three."

"Stuff it. We're all beat," He replied, holstering the Poké Ball at his belt. "I _had_ you that first time."

Dawn smiled. After receiving their Pokémon from the professor, she and Pearl decided to test them out with a battle. Though he had won their first match, Dawn proved otherwise during the last two. Surprisingly, the battle took the majority of the day. It was already time for dinner.

"See ya, Dawn!" Pearl said as they came back to town.

Waving, she watched as he ran off—as usual. With a smile, Dawn headed home herself. Upon returning, she found that her mother was waiting for her with dinner.

"Wow, these are all my favorite dishes!" She cried in awe.

Joanna smiled. "Well, I thought that we ought to celebrate."

"Eh, how did you know?"

The older woman laughed. "I'm your mother, sweetie. I'm the first to pick up on any changes you might have. Though, I wouldn't mind if you told me the details."

As they ate, Dawn filled her mother in with the events that happened during the day. By the time they were finished, Joanna had a very different expression on her face. It was not sad but there was something about it that did not seem truly happy.

"You and Pearl are lucky to have met Prof. Rowan," She began. "I'm glad he stopped the both of you from going into the grass."

Dawn scratched her head sheepishly. "Oh, um…about that…"

"Ha, ha. Just make sure that you go and see him and thank him properly for your Pokémon," Her mother answered. "His lab is in Sandgem Town. Now that you have your own Pokémon, you'll be fine."

Dawn nodded. "Pearl and I are going to see him tomorrow!"

"Good, now I also have something for you," Joanna began, taking out a box. "I'll bet that these will be useful."

Taking the box, Dawn curiously lifted the lid. Inside was a pair of neat running shoes. "Wow, mom! Thank you! Does this mean that…?"

Joanna smiled warmly. "Yes, you can become a Trainer."

"Mommy~!" The thirteen-year-old cried happily, pulling her mother into a hug.

"Oh my, don't get carried away," The older woman laughed. "You're supposed to be mature!"

***

_I still can't believe it…_ _I'm a Trainer now. I have my very first Pokémon!_ Dawn thought as she lay in bed. The Poké Ball with her Piplup inside was sitting on top of her nightstand. Watching it happily, Dawn closed her eyes. As she drifted off to sleep, her dreams did not seem so far off anymore. Perhaps, it would someday cease to be a dream. Today was simply the first step.

* * *

**A/N:** Sorry, the beginning is always the most boring part. Though please bear with me. The plot needs to be set up! You don't just want pr0n without plot, do you?


	2. Twinleaf: Escape?

**A/N:** Thanks to all those who took the time to review. It means a lot to me. oAo I'm glad some people enjoy it so far, even if Cynthia didn't appear yet. The plot still needs to be set up so thank you for being patient. Hopefully, you'll find this chapter more enjoyable. Er, there _are_ subtle hints of Eliteundershipping but I'm not making it official so...just use your imagination if you like it or ignore it if you don't.

As usual, please R&R! And notify me of any mistakes. :3

* * *

**  
Chapter 1**

"And the winner is…Aaron of the Elite Four!"

A wave of cheers followed after the announcer's voice. Many people were clapping as an emerald-haired boy of about eighteen waved to the crowd. His opponent stepped before him, as the two of them shook hands.

Not long after his match, Aaron was sitting at a table with a drink before him. The room was brightly lit and clean; it resembled a cafeteria or a lounge of some sort, decorated with Pokémon Center nuances.

"Congratulations on winning your match, Aaron."

Aaron looked into the older man's eyes as he was addressed, but waved his hand airily. "Ah, it wasn't a problem. He didn't even get past Drapion."

The man clad in the wine-red suit took a seat before the eighteen-year-old; his expression calm. "You have certainly improved a great deal."

"Hey, practice makes perfect, right?" Aaron replied, crossing his arms. "If they think that the Elite Four can be beat that easily, I'll make them think otherwise."

"Aw, but if you keep winning the matches, how are we supposed to have any fun?"

Both males turned in the direction of the voice. Standing before them with a grin on his face was a man in his twenties, sporting a yellow shirt and a rather wild hairdo.

"Flint."

He grinned, grabbing as seat between his cohorts. "Don't tell me I'm wrong, Lucian! I don't know about you but I'm itching for some action!"

"Well, too bad!" Aaron interjected. "_I'm_ the first tier! And I'm not going to let myself lose any time soon!"

"Ho, ho. That's the spirit."

Eyes shifted again; this time they settled upon an old woman dressed in earthy tones. She did not join them at the table, choosing to remain on her feet instead.

"I'm glad that you don't let your status go to your head," she stated.

The green-haired boy let out a short laugh. "I aim for perfection, Bertha."

"I don't know," Flint began abruptly. "But what _I_ need is a new face around here; someone that can last—someone with…fresh talent!"

Lucian adjusted his glasses. "Indeed. I _am_ rather disappointed by the lack of skilled trainers as of lately."

At Lucian's comment, Aaron frowned. Bertha decided to cut in.

"Ah, but you forget. There is boundless potential out there in the world," She began sagely. "You would be surprised at the type of Trainer you might see next."

"You're getting me all fired up!" Flint exclaimed with a huge grin plastered to his face.

Lucian smiled. "I certainly would look forward to that."

"Humph, I still won't lose any time soon," Aaron commented, looking the other way. "We're the Elite Four; we've trained nearly our whole lives. What are the chances of some run-off-the-mill Trainer waltzing in and winning?"

The lavender-haired man gave his glasses a gentle push, a smile still on his face. "If memory serves me…a 'run-off-the-mill' Trainer surprised us all two years ago."

A light tinge of pink made its way to the eighteen-year-old boy's cheeks; he began to focus on his drink.

***

"Good job, Lucario."

The teal, dog-like creature responded to its owner with a grunt. Smiling, the blond woman called it back inside its Poké Ball. Breathing a light sigh, she turned on her heels and slowly made her way down the rocky slope. The cave was primarily dark but the nearby exit provided sufficient light.

"Oh, Miss Champion!"

Upon hearing the voice of another, she turned. Emerging from a nearby tunnel was a man with slightly messy hair and a violet-colored outfit.

"Cynthia will do," She replied gently. She recognized him as one of the usual Trainers who liked to practice at Victory Road. Judging by his attire, he was a Dragon Tamer.

"I thought I heard someone else here," He began. "Ha, to think that it was the Champion herself!"

The said Champion brushed a few stray locks of hair out of her eyes. "I need to practice my skills on occasion."

"Oh, well I thought that you would be at the League," He answered. "I heard that there was a challenger."

A light smile came to her lips. "I'm afraid you have caught me then; skipping my duties."

"Oh no, that's not what I—" The man began, somewhat perplexed.

"Well, excuse me then," She said with a wave. "I must hurry back."

Thankful to get away from the Dragon Tamer, Cynthia quickly made her way to the exit; navigating through the rubble with impressive ease and demonstrating quite a bit of agility.

The man stood feeling rather silly and in awe at the same time.

Outside, Cynthia's expression reverted back to a neutral tone. Honestly, people like him were a bit difficult to deal with; though she was quite used to dealing with almost every kind of person by now. Being the Champion did not just mean working with Pokémon after all. There are technicalities and certain formalities that one had to take into consideration.

However, she remembered what the man had said. There _was_ a challenger today; she knew that already. She was supposed to be present during the opening ceremony, but she had decided to let Lucian take her place for that. In truth, she guessed that she would not have to make an appearance at all. It was not the matter of degrading the challenger; it was simply intuition.

_Though I suppose I _should _return._ She decided, pulling out a Poké Ball. Touching the middle, the ball burst open, sending forth a dark-colored dragon-like beast.

"Let's go back, Garchomp," she said lightly, mounting the Pokémon.

With a growl of compliance, it took to the skies and soared forward. It soon dropped its owner off on the highest floor an impressive looking building. Stroking its head, Cynthia returned her Garchomp back into its ball before going inside. The balcony led to the reception area of her room. Looking briefly about the neutral colored walls, Cynthia dropped off a few of her things before exiting into the hall.

The hall extended toward an elevator, which the blond took to the second lowest floor. As the doors slid open, she was met with—

"Lucian!"

He smiled, stepping out of the way. "Ah, I was wondering when you would return."

"You didn't need me," She answered, returning the smile.

"Yes, Aaron performed well."

Cynthia took a seat at one of the empty tables. Besides for herself, Lucian was the only one there at the moment. He chose to stand.

"Where is everyone?"

The lavender-haired man readjusted his glasses. "Aaron decided to return to training. Flint said that he was heading to Sunnyshore for a few days. As for Bertha, I am not quite sure."

The Champion's eyes flickered as her companion mentioned that their colleague was going on a trip. "Oh? I was thinking of taking a break myself."

"Cynthia," He began, looking her in the eyes.

She returned his gaze. "I wish to leave for awhile."

"…Your duties as Champion make it difficult."

"I don't believe so. There has been close to nothing that requires me for the past few months."

Lucian folded his arms. "Where is it that you are trying to go?"

She remained quiet for a moment before answering, "…Everywhere."

The twenty-four-year-old examined her in silence. Cynthia continued. "It has been quite awhile since I've traveled. To be honest, I certainly miss it. There is a lot I wish to see."

"…As the Champion—" He began.

"Not as the Champion. As me," She interjected firmly. "…It's been awhile for that as well…"

Exhaling, Lucian pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "…You are fortunate that I am capable of taking on numerous tasks."

Cynthia smiled, watching as her friend made his way to the elevator. With the closing of the doors, he disappeared but the smile on his face did not vanish. _Now where should I go first, I wonder?_

* * *

"Here!"

"Oh my, he certainly is cute."

Dawn smiled proudly as she presented her first Pokémon to her mother. The little penguin was standing atop the counter, looking albeit a little bored, but huggable nonetheless. Joanna seemed to think so, giving the plump Pokémon a gentle squeeze around the midriff.

"Okay, that's enough mom!"

The middle-aged woman laughed. "Alright, alright. Go on."

"Piplup, return!"

Upon her command, the Pokémon was taken off the counter. Bidding her mother a good-bye, Dawn headed toward her best friend's house. She was greeted by his mother when she entered.

"Hello, Dawn," said the middle-aged woman. "My boy just left not too long ago. He said he would wait for at the edge of town."

"Thank you for telling me," She replied. _Geez, knowing him, he could with the professor already!_

True to his mother's words, Pearl was waiting at the spot where he and Dawn had met Professor Rowan yesterday. He looked up when he saw his friend approaching.

"There you are!"

"There _you_ are," Dawn retorted; although, she was not angry.

The blonde disregarded her comment. "Okay, so here's the deal: I think we should bring Prof. Rowan something when we see him."

At Dawn's inquiring expression, he added, "Have you heard of the mirage Pokémon? It's supposed to live at Lake Verity. If we can catch such a rare Pokémon and bring it to him, think of how happy he'd be!"

"…You really think _we_ really could…?"

Pearl grabbed his friend by the wrist and began heading towards the lake entrance. "When have I steered you wrong before?"

Upon arriving at the lake front, the first thing that caught their eyes was a strange man. He had aqua-sky-blue hair and looked as if he had not slept properly in days. His attire was rather odd as well; a silver and black colored space-like suit. If anything could have made him stranger, it was the fact that he was muttering to himself. Dawn only managed to catch bits and pieces; he mentioned something about power, the world, and Mesprit.

"Huh? Who's that?" Pearl thought aloud.

At the sudden noise, the man turned towards them, his expression rather frightening. However, seeing nothing but a pair of uninteresting kids, he seemed to relax. As he began walking towards them, Pearl did his best to seem intimidating.

"Wh—who are you? What are you doing here?"

"Out of my way, boy."

Dawn and Pearl automatically did as they were told. The man's voice was deep and his tone was icy. As he walked away, Pearl seemed to return to normal. Dawn on the other hand, was still a bit curious.

"Anyway, let's go catch—" The blond began. However, he seemed to realize something very important. "Wait a minute. We can't catch anything! We don't have any Poké Balls!"

Dawn couldn't help but smile. "You realize this now…?"

"Oh let's just go then," He answered. "…Maybe we can ask Prof. Rowan for some… Alright! I'll race you there, Dawn! First one to Sandgem Town rules!"

"Hey!" She cried, watching as her friend took off like a maniac.

Again, she was left to pick up on his tracks. _I'll just move at my own pace._ She decided. Dawn began to walk until a bright light shone from her pocket. The next thing she knew, her Piplup was standing beside her.

"Huh? I didn't even let you out yet. Is this supposed to happen?"

The little blue creature chirped, leading her toward the grass. With a sigh, Dawn followed, figuring that it simply wanted to play…

***

By the time Dawn arrived at Sandgem Town, she was rather winded. Apparently, what Piplup wanted was to battle with the wild Pokémon, _not_ play. She could not decide if it was being aggressive or just technical; that being it wanted to become stronger. She hoped that it was the latter because it certainly helped _her _better adjust.

"I need to stop by a Pokémon Center…" She muttered, approaching a white building with a red-orange roof.

Inside was almost exactly the same as a hospital. Approaching the counter, the thirteen-year-old got the nurse's attention.

"Welcome, dear," The pink-haired woman began with a smile. "You need your Pokémon healed?"

"Yes, ma'm."

Handing over the ball with her Piplup inside, Dawn watched as the nurse inserted it into a machine. Within seconds, it was back in her hands.

"Your Pokémon is fully healed. We hope to see you again!"

Heading back outside, Dawn looked for any signs of her friend. She did not see him, but she found Professor Rowan's lab. As she reached for the door, it opened by itself; the next thing she knew, something collided into her.

"Oh, it's just you, Dawn!"

"Ow…Pearl!"

The blonde looked excited. "Heh, heh! You wouldn't believe me even if I told you! I'm gonna be a real Trainer!"

"Huh, what are you talking about…?"

He pumped his fist into the air enthusiastically. "Just you wait, Dawn! I'll be the best Trainer there ever was! I'll become the next Champion! Everything starts right now!!!"

Having said—screamed that, the hyperactive blond was off and running once more. However, he wasn't running back to Twinleaf Town—he was heading some where else…

"Dawn, come here."

The thirteen-year-old turned toward the direction of the voice. Professor Rowan wanted to talk to her. Entering, she walked past numerous machines and a few people in white lab coats. Standing before the old man, she found that he was accompanied by the dark-haired boy from before.

"Your friend is quite reckless," Professor Rowan stated.

"Oh, yeah…I'm used to it though," She answered, scratching her head.

The older man examined her briefly. "Anyway, I would like to get to the point."

"I'm listening, sir."

"I am rather old to be doing this sort field work; that is why I have Lucas here," He began. "However, I think that it would not only benefit us, but also do _you_ some good if you agree to aid me."

"Professor…?" The boy inquired, staring at his mentor's face.

"Mm. Dawn, would you like to help me with my research?" The professor asked, looking into the younger girl's eyes.

Dawn blinked. _Me? Help Professor Rowan with his research? That's… _Her subconscious intervened. _The chance you've been waiting for!_

"…Um, what would I do exactly?" She asked slowly.

The old smiled, reaching out into his pocket and pulling out a red handheld device. "You would use this: a Pokédex, to record data on Pokemon as you travel. Basically, you would go around the country and battle like any other Trainer. All I want from you is to use the Pokédex to record all of the Pokémon you encounter."

"Eh? That's it?" She said, taken aback. She had expected to be like Lucas, following the professor around, carrying his luggage…

"Yes, that's it," He reassured her. "Will you take it?"

He held out the Pokédex. With a smile and a nod, Dawn picked it up, examining it happily. Reaching into his other pocket, he pulled out another one.

"Here, Lucas. You deserve one too," He said. "I will be counting on you two."

Lucas looked moved. "Professor… I won't let you down."

"Good! Now go on, the both of you!" The old began. "The world of Pokémon is vast! But don't be afraid to ask for help."

"Prof. Rowan, thank you," The thirteen-year-old answered gratefully.

***

"_Meet me back at my house tomorrow. Go home and say good-bye to your mom."_

Dawn took in Lucas's words carefully as she headed home. Walking back felt a lot quicker; for the most part, she was distracted, thinking about how her mother would react. _She said I could go now. I can't stay here forever…_

"Dawn, happy birthday!"

At a sudden pop of a fire cracker, Dawn snapped out of her thoughts. The instant she opened the door, she was showered in confetti. There were numerous party decorations around the living room and all of her favorite dishes were for dinner—again!

"M-mom, what's all this…?"

The older woman smiled, pulling her daughter in. "Oh, you silly girl. Did you forget your own birthday? Today is September 13th!"

Dawn indeed feel silly. She had been through the whole day thinking that she was still thirteen! _Wait…that means Pearl forgot my birthday too!_

"W-well, thanks a lot, mom…" She replied sheepishly. "Oh, but…why does it say 'good luck' instead of 'happy birthday'?"

She was referring to the banner that her mother chose to hang along the wall. Joanna smiled.

"I _do_ wish you good luck. This is also your farewell party; don't be selfish because you're not getting two!"

"Mommy…you…"

Joanna waved her hand. "Oh, don't be like that, Dawn. If you call me 'mommy' like that, it'll be only the more difficult to say good-bye."

"That's so…" The younger girl sniffled, trying to hold back her tears.

Joanna took the opportunity to hug her daughter. "My dear Hikari, I know you will return. I will always wait for you."

"…When you call me…'Hikari'…it'll only be…"

The older woman laughed, shedding a few tears of her own. "Don't be silly."

Brushing away each other's tears, both mother and daughter smiled. They both understood what was going to happen; they were not going to face it with fear.

"Come now, eat before the food gets cold," Joanna began. "I've taken the liberty of packing your belongings for you. Go and see what else you need after dinner."

Nodding, Dawn started to eat. Once they were finished, she went upstairs. Indeed, her mother had her traveling bag ready for her. All the items and necessities need for the journey were present.

By this time tomorrow, Dawn knew that she would no longer be at home. _Last time…for a long time…_ She thought, slipping into bed. By this time tomorrow, she would be a Pokémon Trainer.

* * *

**A/N:** No, that's not my birthday; it's the release date for Platinum in Japan. And I'm not trying to be a weeaboo; in the story, using a character's Japanese name will represent closeness, familiarity, and/or importance. (Just go with it.)


	3. Jubilife: Playing Secret Agent

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay on this chapter. I wanted to make things flow better. Aaaaaand I also had finals. I'm free now though so count on more chapters being released!

Please continue to read & review, I appreciate you all. I'll provide a more thorough reply to everyone's reviews next chapter. Right now I just want to get on with this one. Thanks!

* * *

**  
Chapter 2  
**

There was a light knock on the door. The League Champion drew her attention away from her bag, in order to answer the call. With a press of a button, the metallic door slid open to reveal her old friend.

"Lucian! It's rather early for you to visit me, don't you think?" She said, inviting the man in.

The final Elite Four member entered, pausing only to push his glasses up the bridge of his nose. "It is about your trip."

The door closed automatically. Cynthia took a seat on one of the couches while Lucian stood a little ways beside her. She chose to remain silent as she fixed them both a cup of tea.

"I have discussed the matter with Bertha," Lucian continued. "She and I have both felt that your services will not be needed extensively for the next few months."

The blond woman edged her friend's cup toward him while she took a sip from her own; she was listening.

"However, we felt that should the need arise, you will still be expected to fulfill your duties as the Champion; for they are your highest priority," He explained, taking a seat opposite her.

Cynthia simply smiled. "Oh my, if that was all it took for you to let me leave, I should have done it ages ago."

"…Cynthia…"

"Fu fu…I'm only joking, Lucian. I understand," She answered, reassuring him. "Call me and I will do my best to assist."

The lavender-haired man crossed his arms. "Well, regarding that…you _do_ have another duty as Champion that you must do before leaving."

A feigned look of disturbance formed on her face. "Oh…? I thought you agreed to settle all of the technicalities and the rest of that troublesome work…"

The twenty-four-year-old breathed a sigh. "I have. There is just one thing that came up at the last minute."

Cynthia watched as Lucian procured a white, official-looking sheet of paper from his coat. He also provided her a pen, pushing the paper towards her.

"To sum it up: this is a form saying that you agree to let someone else act as your regent in your absence," He explained. "All you need to do is sign. But—let me warn you: should you not return before the date printed on the document, your rights as the Champion will be suspended."

Cynthia studied the paper for a moment, remaining silent. Lucian took the opportunity to drink his tea. Studying her expression, he found that he could not quite read her thoughts as well as he usually did. It made him wonder what it was that the younger woman wanted. He felt rather pitiful for her. Being the Champion had not left much time for her to be herself. Many—if not all, simply saw her as the Sinnoh Champion. Sometimes Lucian wondered if he had begun to do so as well.

"I know what to do," She said simply, returning the document back to him with her signature present. "I _will_ come back so don't worry. I can't abandon my position after all."

Lucian secured the form back into his pocket. "I am glad," He said, getting to his feet and heading to the door. "Now, don't let me interrupt your packing."

With a smile, he exited, leaving Cynthia with one of her own. She truly was grateful to have his assistance. Lucian had been there to do so almost every time she needed him to. One could probably call him her right-hand-man.

_Ah, I should finish with my things._ She decided, clearing away the cups. _I will also need a temporary image change…_

***

"Ah, please let me in! I really must see one of the Elite Four!"

"I'm terribly sorry sir, but they aren't accepting any challenges today."

The man ruffled his short, dark hair in frustration. He was not at the Pokémon League for a challenge! However, with the receptionist being difficult, he could not really get his point across. Of course, he also could not share the true reason as to why he needed to meet with one of the Elite Four either.

"I will wait then," He said defiantly. "If you could just give one of them a message, I will wait."

The receptionist sighed. "Sir, I'm afraid they are on leave today. It's their free time—"

"—all the more reason for me to use this chance to speak with them then!"

"What's going on?"

Both heads turned. A blond woman in black-rimmed glasses with her long hair braided and tied up with a thin black ribbon was standing before them. She was carrying a black leather bag and was dressed primarily in black and white attire. Though she seemed to be a traveler, she also appeared quite business-like; as her apparel gave off a classy aura.

"…Um…uh, are you from the office?" The receptionist inquired, looking into the woman's blue eyes. She did seem rather familiar, but the brunette could not quite put her finger on it.

The man in the brown trench coat strode up to the blond. "If you are, ma'm, I request to see one of the Elite Four. It's rather important—"

"Excuse me! I have told you—" The receptionist began heatedly, getting to her feet.

The blond woman interrupted. "Please, I will handle this. Continue doing your job; you're excellent. Sir, come with me, if you will."

With a huff, the receptionist sat down while the man followed the other woman outside. Once they were out of the building, she led him to a stone bench that was nearby.

Thinking she took him for a fool, he grew agitated. "You are not getting rid of me so easily—"

"I will listen to you, just please calm down and don't cause any more trouble," She interjected, taking a seat. "Lucian and Bertha are rather busy at the moment so I do not want them to be disturbed."

The man was quiet, examining the mysterious woman for a moment. "What authority do you have?"

She her expression was neutral. "My name is Cynthia. I am the Sinnoh Pokémon League Champion."

The man was taken aback. If he looked at her closely, he could tell that she was telling the truth. Though at a glance, most people would be fooled. "…Oh, my apologies! But why…?"

"Ah, please do not ask," She answered, adjusting her glasses. "If you would explain why _you_ are here…"

At the mention of his mission, the man grew serious and seemed to behave more professionally. "Ahem, well, I come to the Pokémon League for assistance. I am a member of the International Police, you see. My name is Detective Handsome but my codename is Looker."

Cynthia listened as he spoke; though she found him to be rather odd. "Yes…"

"You are aware of Team Galactic, correct?" He continued. "Well, there was an investigation on their activities recently, due to suspicions of illegal experimentation and maltreatment of Pokémon."

He managed to spark some of her interest. "But those claims were reported inconclusive on the news."

"That's right, so it's been officially closed. In court, the President of Team Galactic had managed to clear all charges," He replied. "However, I don't believe that is the case. Everyone decided that they were clean, but my department still wants to carry out the investigation."

Cynthia laced her fingers together, placing her hands in her lap. "Interesting. What do you need from us then?"

"Your authority! You see, because the case was closed, we technically don't possess the rights to lead another investigation," He explained. "Lawsuits could be filed against us and it would be a disaster! After all, we don't have the proper evidence as of now…"

"But if you couldn't find any evidence before…"

The detective appeared a bit alarmed. "You don't understand! Team Galactic has risen to become one of the most powerful companies in Eastern Sinnoh! They hold a significant amount of influence! Surely you see, Miss Champion—"

"Cynthia is fine," She said simply. "And I _do _understand what you are trying to say. But you are foolish to think that aid from the Pokémon League will do you any good."

Looker faltered. "I'm not sure I follow…"

"If you publicize this, it would end up exactly the same way as it did before," She said, crossing one leg over the other.

"We have no choice! We—" He began, becoming rather frustrated.

Cynthia smiled. "I didn't say that I will not help you."

"…I'm sorry, but how do you plan on doing that?"

"A private investigation is the only way," She explained. "However, I will vouch for you myself. Therefore, I will be able to share some of the responsibility."

The detective blinked. "You would do so…?"

"I am already in disguise myself, as you can see. If something happens, I assure you that you have my assistance." She said. Lowering her gaze, she continued, "And I _am_ concerned about Team Galactic to be honest…"

Looker nodded firmly. "Then I sincerely thank you, Miss Champion! Your cooperation is most valuable!"

"…It's not a problem," She answered, smiling lightly. "I am free for awhile."

The dark-haired man pulled out a set of airplane tickets. "Here, I have two tickets to Jubilife City. That is where I will begin our investigation."

"Oh? Should you not start in Veilstone?"

He shook his head. "A direct attack would be insufficient! We must gather as much evidence as we possibly can!"

"If you say so, Detective," She replied, taking one of the tickets. "Shall we go?"

With a nod, the both of them began to leave. _A bit of a detour from my original plan…_ Cynthia thought. However, what he said truly did catch her attention. There was something she still had to settle. He reminded her that duty came first. _I suppose I should be productive…_

After a few hours, Cynthia found herself on a plane headed to Jubilife City. The approximate travel time would take a little more than half a day. She was not sitting with the detective of course, as they could not be seen as associates. Cynthia exhaled and leaned back in her seat. Instead of acting as the Champion, it appeared that she would have some 'fun' playing detective for the next few months.

* * *

"Take care of yourself, dear."

"Mm! I will, mom!"

With the last exchange of words, Dawn parted with her mother. It was not as tragic as either of them thought. On that note, it was quite refreshing.

The morning was a bit hectic actually. Pearl's mother had stopped by during breakfast time, asking the navy-haired girl for a favor. Apparently, Pearl had called back from Jubilife City saying that he was going to travel as a Trainer. Amazingly, his mother was nonchalant about it; she only asked him to stay out of trouble and reminded him to change his underwear everyday. She left Dawn with the task of delivering the blond's clothes to him. He said that he would wait in Jubilife, studying at the Trainer's School.

_I wanted to travel light!_ Dawn thought with irritation. _He's going to get it this time!_ She vowed, heading to Sandgem Town. She remembered that she had an appointment with Lucas, who was supposed to help her get started as a Trainer.

An hour and a half walk brought the fourteen-year-old before his house. Knocking, she was met with a little dark-haired girl.

"Um…is Lucas home…?"

The little girl stared at Dawn wide-eyed, closing the door. _Wh—what was that about!?_ Dawn thought, nearly dropping her bags. She did _not_ walk all the way to his house to find this!

"Gosh, I'm sorry! She always does that!"

Dawn looked up as the door re-opened, revealing Professor Rowan's assistant. He stepped out immediately, closing the door behind him.

"Er, should we go?" He began shortly, leading the way. "I've already got my things."

She sighed. "It was just kind of weird…"

"Uh, how about I teach you how to catch some Pokémon?" He said, changing the subject. "We could start over here…"

Dawn nodded, following the dark-haired boy to the edge of town. There, he seemed much more relaxed.

"Okay, first, you send out your Pokémon," He began, performing the action as he spoke. "The key thing is to weaken the Pokémon that you're trying to catch first."

As he did so, Dawn found that he was the one who received the Turtwig that was left over in the briefcase. He seemed delighted to be using it in battle; something that reminded her of her best friend. It made her smile, watching him battle against a Bidoof.

"—and then you throw the Poké Ball!" He said finally, encasing the beaver Pokémon in the sphere.

"Oh, right!" Dawn said with a nod, watching as the ball shook a few times before staying still.

Lucas picked it up, giving his Turtwig a stroke on the head. "Good job, boy! We caught a Bidoof!"

"Thanks for helping me out."

He got up. "Oh, it's no problem. We'll both be helping Prof. Rowan now so we have to look after each other." He pulled out a bag and handed it to her. "Here's a gift from me: five Poké Balls to get you started!"

"Wow! Thanks a lot, Lucas!" She exclaimed, taking the bag gratefully. "I'll definitely do my best!"

The dark-haired boy smiled. "Okay, you can ask me anything else you want before we leave."

Dawn gave it a moment's thought. She had already learned most of the technical details of being a Trainer already. She had received fine grades while in school; she just lacked experience.

"Hm, I think I'm fine…" She answered. "Wait, how old are you?"

Lucas blinked. "I meant about Pokémon but… I'm fourteen. I'll be turning fifteen on the 28th."

"Eh? That means you're older than Pearl _and_ me!" She exclaimed.

He tilted his head slightly. "Uh, that's not a problem, is it…?"

"Ha, ha, no! Of course not!" She answered. "Let's go!"

Lucas smiled, returning his Turtwig back into its ball before pulling out a map. "Okay, we ought to head to Jubilife first."

"Oof…okay," She sighed, reminding herself of the extra load that she was carrying. "I have to see Pearl…"

***

As night fell, Dawn found herself standing before the entrance to a city filled with numerous lights. Traveling with Lucas to Jubilife was exhausting; as they encountered not only wild Pokémon, but also other Trainers. It was today that Dawn experienced her first battle against others besides Pearl. Whether or not it was due to _luck _or skill, she managed to win all of her matches. Lucas chose not to participate in the battles but he managed to catch more Pokémon—a Starly; Dawn herself had caught none, even though she had attempted it twice.

Now as she stood before the city, she felt a sense of excitement; despite the fact that she was weary from all the walking. How small it made Twinleaf Town seem! In fact, this only made her realize that there was a lot in Sinnoh for her to see. It opened up so many opportunities, she was almost afraid that she would not be able to see them all.

"Dawn?"

At the mention of her name, she turned. "Huh? Oh, sorry! I was just…looking."

"Ha, ha…its okay, I understand," The dark-haired boy replied. "I was like that the first time I went here too."

"Eh? You've been here before?" She inquired.

Lucas nodded. "Yep, I went with Prof. Rowan. Oh! As a favor, he also booked us a room to stay in!"

Dawn smiled. Professor Rowan was a lot nicer than she had originally thought! Lucas pulled out his map again.

"Hm, it's over here," He said. "We can stay for one night. Then we'll split up. How's that sound?"

The fourteen-year-old girl nodded. "Mm, okay. Let's head there now so we can wash up. Oh…and I still have to find Pearl…"

"Ha, alright, just follow me."

Doing as he said, Dawn allowed Lucas to lead her to a small hotel. Inside, they both bid each other a good-night before disappearing into their own rooms, located across from one another.

Dawn sighed, dropping her bags on the bed. Entering the bathroom, she began to clean up. However, instead of going to sleep, she was redressed and back outside within fifteen minutes. She was far too excited to go to bed at the moment. The time was about ten o' clock.

She decided to stop by the Pokémon Center first before heading anywhere else. After speaking with the nurse for a minute, Dawn was out once more There was an awful lot too see, and she was having trouble deciding. However, an unknown man called out to her.

"Excuse me; you are a Trainer, right?"

She nodded, prompting the man to continue. "Um, what can I do for you, sir?"

"Ha, ha, no need to be so polite!" He laughed. "Hm, but I like that! I also happen to notice that you don't have a Poké Tech!"

Dawn's expression faltered slightly. She had seen ads for the said device on TV and she knew that it was quite expensive. She hoped that the man wasn't trying to sell something to her; she was trying to save up her funds.

"Well, today is your lucky day, little lady!" He exclaimed. "If you could find a mime situated throughout the city and answer his questions correctly…you can get one for free!"

"'Free'…?" She repeated. _It would be useful…_

The man nodded with a grin. "That's right! Free; just by finding the mime and answering a question!"

"Okay! I'll give it try," She agreed.

Examining the man, he appeared rather tired; he was a bit shabby but there was still a spark of life in him… Others would have said that he looked _shady_ and sounded _annoying_, but Dawn was oblivious to that.

"Remember, a _mime_!" He called after her as she took off.

Waving back, Dawn was off searching for the said mime. As she walked throughout the streets searching for him, she passed by many other areas of interest as well. She saw the Trainer's School; it was closed at the moment but she had hoped to find her best friend. Next, she noticed the Jubilife TV Station; the scene seemed rather busy, as people were passing in and out of the doors. However, the most impressive facility was the Global Trade Station. It was easily one of the larger buildings in the city; towering above the smaller facilities around it. She would have gotten a closer look, if it weren't for the man who said she was too inexperienced to take part in the festivities.

"Hmph, that was kinda rude…" She huffed, readjusting her hat.

As she walked away from the man however, her eyes caught sight of something interesting. From across the street, there was a figure dressed in black and white. The fact that his face was plastered with make-up made her realize that he was the one she had been looking for. _Oh I hope he doesn't leave!_ She thought, watching as he sulked back into the alleyways.

_Geez, that guy must've put him there on purpose! He doesn't really wanna give anything away for free!_ She thought as she made her way to the mime's location. Once there, she peered into the semi-darkness; the streetlights were not working properly.

"Hey, are you the one from the Poké Tech Company?" She called out. "I'm here to answer a question to get a prize!"

For a moment, there was no answer; she was about to leave when a hand grabbed her by the shoulder.

"Wait, wait! Yes, I am!"

The fourteen-year-old girl examined his features. It was difficult due to the make-up; she couldn't really tell anything from looking at his face. Like the previous man however, he also looked a bit battered.

"Okay, what's the question that I have to answer?"

The man grinned. "Heh, alright, here I go! What is the name of that building over there?"

"…The Global Trade Station…or Global Terminal, if you want to get technical about it," She answered. It was an odd question.

"Heh, heh, that's right! Congratulations!" He exclaimed. "Now come this way to collect your prize!"

Glad that something good came out of the trip, Dawn eagerly followed the man as he made his way down the alleyway. However, when they reached the end, he turned around and grabbed her arms and held his hand over her mouth.

"Still want your prize, girl?" He laughed, restraining her as she struggled.

However, before he could do anything else, there was a flash of light. It surprised the man, causing him to release her. Dawn gasped, breaking away from him. The man snarled, taking a step after her. On the other hand, he failed to notice the incoming barrage of bubbles that was coming toward his midriff.

"Piplup!" The fourteen-year-old exclaimed.

Indeed, the small penguin Pokémon was standing between her and the man. After the direct hit from its Bubble attack, the man was against the wall. However, he was not down for the count yet; his make-up had smeared, making him look twice as menacing.

"You stupid little—!" He growled, taking out a Poké Ball of his own.

Dawn matched his expression in anger. "I-I'm not afraid of you! And you're gonna get it for trying to trick me!"

_I'm such an idiot!_ She mentally scolded herself. If it were not for her Piplup, who knows what might have happened to her!

"Brat, who're you to talk!" The man spat, sending out his Pokémon.

Piplup's opponent was a short muscular creature. However, the little penguin was not deterred; neither was its owner.

"Machop! Low Kick!" The man yelled.

"Okay, Piplup—watch and dodge!"

Timing it correctly, the creature did as it was told, hopping up to avoid Machop's leg. As Dawn issued out a command for Pound, Piplup struck down at its opponent, sending it back a few feet.

"Argh! Karate Chop!"

"Use Bubble at the ground!"

As the Machop sped toward Piplup with its right hand erect and glowing white, the penguin Pokémon sprayed numerous bubbles at its feet. Doing so caused the Machop to lose not only its focus, but also its balance. It ended up diving face first toward the floor.

"M-Machop!"

"Alright, Piplup—hit it directly with Bubble!"

The man watched as the bubbles hammered into his Pokémon, rendering it unconscious. With streak of light, it was returned into its ball. Dawn cheered.

"Great job, Piplup!"

"You damned brat…" The man growled under his breath. "You think _that'll_ save you!?"

Both Dawn and Piplup stopped their celebration as the man pointed a gun in their direction. He was sweating and seemed a bit off kilter at this point in time.

"Put that shit away!" He demanded, indicating that Dawn recall her Pokémon.

"…There're people around, you know!" She answered, trying to keep herself calm. "That battle caused a lot of commotion!"

He laughed. "Yeah, really? You think people will really care?"

"What do you—?"

"I don't know what kind of hick town you're from, brat—but battles around the city are nothing new! Nobody gives a crap! And if you don't do as I say, I'll blow your head off!"

"… _Night Shade."_

Dawn swallowed; growing increasingly nervous as she tried to think of a way out. He seemed ready to pull the trigger but she was caught by surprise as the man suddenly let out a scream and dropped his gun. He seemed to be in some sort of pain; clutching his head and dropping to his knees. There was an odd dark aura around him that also frightened _her_.

"What's going on?"

"I think it came from there."

"Look! There's a girl!"

Dawn took her eyes off of the man, who had grown silent, to find a few people making their way down the alley. Relieved, she gathered her Piplup in her arms and ran toward them. She did not know what had just happened. She was just glad to get out of it in one piece.

***

"Where were you, Miss Champion!?"

"…I was just out for a walk."

The man clad in brown sighed. "I was hoping to further discuss future plans and strategies—"

"Ah, that's not necessary. We will be acting independently of one another, correct?"

He rubbed his chin. "Well…that's true…but I would still like to make a few things clear."

The blond woman smiled. "We already _have_ cleared everything out—back at the League. I believe you are paranoid, Detective."

"Er, I—"

"Good night, Mr. Looker," She interrupted, brushing past him as she entered the elevator.

Detective Handsome stood rigidly as he watched the sliding doors close; the last thing he received from the person on the other side was a light smile. With that, he was left in the hall of the lobby on his own.

All of a sudden, there was a radio message for him. Touching his ear, Looker folded up his collar and faced the wall.

"_There seems to have been a small incident with a girl."_

"Explain."

He paused as his informer briefed him in about the said incident. He sighed when it was clear that it was just a scam gone awry. There was no way Team Galactic would have been involved. Though at the same time, he was interested.

"Most likely no leads, but I might have to see this child."

"_Roger that, sir. She is exempted then?"_

"Yes, send her off to my location."

"_She is staying at the same hotel you are, sir."_

"…Well, I will wait."

Exhaling, Looker made his way back to the lobby, taking a seat and picking up a newspaper. There were a few stragglers around at the moment, but they all appeared to be absorbed in their own affairs to notice anything.

After awhile of waiting, the detective examined his watch. It was midnight. The lobby was primarily empty now, besides for the receptionist and himself. Figuring that he was a bit conspicuous, he decided to turn in. However, as he rose, the doors to the hotel slid open.

The person entering was a young girl in her teens, dressed in a black top and a pink skirt; her most noticeable features were her white hat and red scarf—as well as her weary expression.

"Oh my, are you alright?" The receptionist asked.

"I'm fine, thank you. Just need some sleep," The girl answered slowly.

She walked by him, pushing the elevator button. Once the doors slid open, she entered. _She must be the one…_ Looker decided, coming in after her. Inside, the girl seemed a bit on edge, despite the fact that she looked so tired. She gripped the strap of her white bag tightly and she did her best to concentrate.

"…Relax," He muttered, lifting up his collar again. "I am with the police."

The girl stiffened. "…What…?"

Tilting himself away from the elevator camera, he quickly flashed a glimpse of his badge for her to see. She remained quiet as the elevator stopped and the doors opened.

"I need to talk to you," He said in a low voice. "I will do it tomorrow in broad daylight if you are uncomfortable."

With that said, he exited, leaving Dawn inside alone. After _that_ incident, she was finding it rather hard to trust people at the moment. She still could not get over how gullible and stupid she was for believing such a thing in the first place. Pearl would have laughed. Lucas would have found her silly. Professor Rowan would have disapproved and her mother would have been frightened to death.

When the elevator arrived at her floor, Dawn dragged herself into her room and toward the bathroom. She took a shower. The hot water made her relax but it could not get her mind off of what happened earlier. By the time she was in her pajamas and on the bed, she was thinking about how she was saved.

_He just started getting hurt…_ She shook her head. She didn't exactly know _what_ that was. Nevertheless, she was glad all the same. She was curious, that was all. Her thoughts drifted over to the 'policeman' she had just met in the elevator.

At the Jubilife Police Station, she was taken in for questioning. After an hour of that and check-ups, she was allowed to leave. The last thing one of the people said to her was: 'Someone will help you'. She wondered if that person was referring to the man in the elevator. He had a badge…

Dawn couldn't help but feel tired and of course, insecure at the moment; she was rather frustrated. She took out her Poké Ball and released her Piplup. The little blue Pokémon looked a bit confused at first as to why it wa out but as it looked at its owner's face, it seemed to understand.

"Oh, Piplup…let's just go to sleep," The navy-haired girl said finally.

Leaving the dim light on, Dawn grabbed the penguin Pokémon around the middle and pulled it close to her chest. It seemed a bit disgruntled but eventually relaxed as they settled beneath the covers.

_I'll just see what happens tomorrow… That's right...I'll deal with this...then._

_

* * *

_**  
A/N: **Eh...reading this over again, a few things sound jumbled... Ah well, I hoped you liked it anyway. :/

_P.S._ They'll see each other soon, you deprived fans, you. ;)


	4. Jubilife: A 'Hero'

**A/N:** Thanks to all my reviewers once again. It really helps give me inspiration—honest! Anyway, this chapter is a transition to the next city. There _are_ key events being set up as well. Not so much in the romance department since I like to take things slow and have it match. Plus, it's more exciting if it takes awhile to get together; I love the painful elements of dragging it out. I also feel that it's important for the plot to flow properly. :3 Now, a 'shout out' to my reviewers:

_Chris _- My first one! oAo Thanks for the tips you've given me._  
Nhame _- You're playing Platinum? Hopefully you can see if the events match up enough!_  
Yasetsu _- I'm not sure I'll be up to snuff on the Cynthia/Dawn scenes but I'll do my best. X3_  
Mr./Ms. Account_ - I laughed at your name. I appreciate readers saying AT LEAST SOMETHING but I absolutely love thorough reviews. Thanks ye greatly; I'll take the things you said into mind.

**  


* * *

  
Chapter 3**__

Alright, time to go! Dawn thought with fresh determination. She woke up early, despite going to bed at around midnight yesterday. After thinking things through, she decided what happened had already passed. She had to make the best of it. She would explain it to Lucas then proceed to find Pearl. After giving him his things, she would continue; that was all there was to it. Last night's incident only helped her realize that traveling around by herself was not going to be all fun and games. _I'm _not_ going to make the same mistake twice!_

Gathering the rest of her things and looking herself over one last time in the mirror, she made her way out into the hallway. In her hurry, she bumped into someone; someone rather soft for that matter.

"Pearl…?" She said aloud. He was the first person that came to mind.

"…I'm sorry, but no."

Dawn blinked. The person she had just knocked into was a far cry from her best friend. The only trait they shared was having blonde hair. The woman standing before her was tall, dressed mainly in neutral tones of black and white. To Dawn, she seemed like a teacher; or some sort of traveling scholar. The blonde peered back at Dawn through her glasses with curious blue eyes.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" The fourteen-year-old exclaimed. "I thought you were someone else…"

The woman smiled lightly. "It's fine."

"Huh? Dawn!"

Both females' heads turned. A dark-haired boy with a red beret was standing at the open door across from them. The blonde woman took it as her cue to leave, making her way to the elevator with long graceful strides. Dawn shifted her attention back on to her male companion.

"Did you know her?" He inquired, watching as the older woman disappeared in the elevator.

Dawn shook her head. "No, I crashed into her when I came out."

"I see… Well, never mind that!" He began abruptly. "Did you know that you were on the news!?"

She vaguely remembered a reporter from last night. "…Oh…well, I…"

"You're a hero, Dawn!" He said excitedly.

She looked rather surprised. "Wh-what are you talking about? I didn't do anything to…"

"It said that you stopped a swindler who's been wanted around here for awhile," He explained. "The police were trying to find him but thanks to you, they have him and his partner in custody now."

Dawn felt a sudden rush of relief. She wasn't being cheap _or_ naïve! She was a 'hero'! She could have laughed out loud.

"The president of the Poké Tech Company also said that he wanted to congratulate you!" Lucas continued. "I can hardly believe it… I should've gone with you, huh?"

"It wasn't that great, Lucas…" She answered slowly. "And I was really scared…he had a gun."

At her comment, he scratched his head. "Ah, sorry; I didn't mean it like that."

"Un…it's okay," She replied lightly. "Let's just keep, going."

He nodded. "Alright, I think that I'll head north to Eterna City. Where are you off to?"

"Hm, I think I'll look for Pearl first," She answered. "Then I'll decide afterwards."

Having made their decisions, Dawn and Lucas took the elevator down to the lobby. When the doors slid open, they found that there was a quite a bit of commotion going on. Curious, they both exited and headed toward the miniature crowd. At the sight of the fourteen-year-old girl, the group focused their attention on her.

"What's going on?" She wondered aloud, confused.

Lucas was shoved aside by a couple of pushy reporters; they began to hold their microphones out, hoping to catch Dawn's attention.

"Excuse me! Could you answer a few questions?"

"Get a shot of her and the president!"

"President…?" Dawn repeated.

As if waiting for his cue, a middle-aged man with short brown hair made his way to her; he took her hand and shook it.

"My little hero is it!" He roared; a smile across his face.

Placing his arm over her shoulder, he posed while a few reporters took their pictures. He finally released her when she turned to face him.

"What's going on, sir?"

He laughed. "Why, I'm the president of the Poké Tech Company! And everyone please let me speak!"

At the man's sudden declaration, the small group of reporters stopped and formed a circle around him and Dawn. Lucas stood a little ways from the group, watching them. He was not the only one watching; at the couch sat a man dressed in brown, accompanied by a blonde woman with glasses.

"I am here to thank you personally for catching that horrible con artist," The president explained. "He has been fooling people for the past few months under my company's name. The police have been neglecting this matter…so imagine how surprised I was when he had been caught!"

Dawn scratched her head. "Er, it was sort of an accident…"

"Don't be silly, my dear! In order to thank you properly, I want to present you with…" He began, pulling out a box. "…this! It's your very own Poké Tech, free of charge!"

The navy-haired girl blinked. The irony was actually in her favor. The man thrust the box into her arms and patted her shoulder.

"And that's not all! You will also get five free applications!" He continued.

Before Dawn could give her thanks or even answer, the small group let out a cheer; camera flashes soon followed. The reporters proceeded to interview the fourteen-year-old but they were escorted and cleared out by a few police officers.

"Um, thank you, sir…" She said once it was quieter. "…But I really just wanted something free and was tricked… I'm not a hero."

The president raised an eyebrow. "So are you saying that you don't deserve this?"

Dawn bit her lower lip. "…No, I actually do want it very much…"

_She's serious!_ Lucas and Detective Handsome thought; rather surprised at her response. The blonde woman laughed shortly, bidding the man in brown a farewell before exiting the building along with a couple of others.

"…Ha, ha, ha! You certainly are an interesting one!" The president exclaimed. However, he gave the shorter girl a kind pat on the head. "Don't worry about it, kid. You've really helped me out."

Dawn blinked. "…Really?"

"Ha, yes. The police haven't been _any_ help," He explained. "For a child to just waltz in and catch someone they couldn't for the past few months…it must be luck!"

_Luck, huh…?_ Dawn repeated mentally. She smiled. "Either way, I guess I'll keep this then."

"Oh, go right ahead! I've already installed the free applications on there," He replied. "Good luck with your journey as a Trainer!"

Waving a good-bye, the president exited the hotel, leaving Dawn feeling rather happy. She held the box gratefully, examining it with glee. Yesterday's events—including the dark aura, were pushed out of her mind.

"Wow, Dawn! Can you believe it?"

She turned as Lucas walked up to her. "I don't know, but I guess being a hero isn't so bad!"

"Ha, ha. It sure seems that way," He answered, placing his hands into his pockets.

"You wouldn't just help someone for a reward, would you?"

Both children looked over as a man in a brown suit walked up to them. Dawn suddenly remembered him from the other night. She recalled him saying that he was with the police.

"…Don't worry, you're only children," He said. "I wouldn't think any less of you."

"Er, can we help you?" Lucas inquired, stepping a little bit between Dawn and the man.

She tugged on his sleeve. "He's a policeman, Lucas. I think…he wants to talk to me."

The man examined her for a moment before shifting his eyes to Lucas. "I want…to talk to the both of you."

Lucas and Dawn looked at each other as the man made his way back to couch and sat down. Deciding that it was alright to follow him, they both took a seat as well.

"Now, let me introduce myself," He began, keeping his voice low. "My name is Looker."

"…I'm Lucas, and this is Dawn."

The man called Looker nodded. "Nice to meet you; I'll cut to the chase."

Lucas and Dawn listened carefully as the man went on. He lowered his voice even more. "I want the two of you to help me out. Right now, I'm on an investigation and I need a couple of eyes and ears around Sinnoh."

"But we're just kids," Lucas pointed out. Dawn nodded.

Looker shook his head. "That's why you're perfect for the job. I can't have a whole squad of people running around. It'll be less obvious if you're children."

"…Can you give us any more details, sir?" Dawn inquired.

The detective shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I'm sorry, but no. I just want the two of you to keep an eye out on any suspicious activity as you travel. You _are_ Trainers…even if you're both a bit inexperienced."

"What do you mean by 'suspicious activity'?" Lucas asked.

"…Anything out of the ordinary…" He replied in a low tone. "Er…'bad things'."

Both Lucas and Dawn gave each other a glance. The man was rather odd for someone working for the police. However, he was not asking anything outrageous of them; therefore, he couldn't possibly be trying to con them or anything, right?

"Argh, just pay attention to what goes on around you," He began, slightly frustrated. "You'll have no difficulty spotting trouble when you see it, right?"

Lucas nodded slowly. "I suppose so…"

"But what are we going to do if we _do_ see anything weird?" Dawn added.

Looker dug into his pocket and pulled out a little card. "Here's my number. Use your Poké Tech to contact me whenever you're in trouble."

Dawn and Lucas both peered at the card in his hand, remembering the numbers printed on it. With that having said and done, the detective rose.

"Now, I must leave," He began. "Remember, this is a secret!"

With a dramatic swish of is coffee-colored trench coat, he was off. Dawn and Lucas both remained quiet. That was quite odd.

"You really think we can trust him?" Lucas asked, breaking the silence.

"He showed me a badge the other day," Dawn replied. "I think he's fine. He's not asking us to do anything—just 'keep an eye out'."

The dark-haired boy nodded. "Well, if you say so… Anyway, I should get going. Good luck finding your friend."

"Okay…see you, Lucas!" She answered, waving to him as they went their own ways.

Dawn stood still for a moment, watching as he headed to the northern exit of the city. She snapped out of it when she realized that she was still carrying Pearl's bag. _I have to find him before I go… He must be at the Trainer's School!_ She decided, heading to the location.

Upon arriving there, she noticed that school was in session. Most of the students were young children in uniforms. She quickly made her way past them and into the visitors' area. Feeling as if today might be her day, Dawn spotted her best friend almost immediately. He had his nose in a book; well, at least he was flipping through the pages.

She called out to him as she walked over, "Pearl!"

He looked up from the book. "Dawn! Finally, you've caught up!"

"You should sound more grateful, you careless dolt!" She retorted, thrusting him his brown bag. "You ran off without a care!"

"Alright, alright! Thanks!" The blonde took the bag eagerly, rooting through it briefly. "Huh? There are two maps…" A sudden smile came across his face. "Tell you what, Dawn! For bringing me my things, why don't you take this Town Map?"

The fourteen-year-old blinked. "Huh? You mean it?"

"Yeah, of course! And why don't you take this too?" He replied, handing her a book along with the map. "It's your late birthday present."

She looked happy at his last few words. "Wow…thanks a lot! I thought that you forgot."

"No way! We're best friends!" He answered, hanging his bag over his shoulder. "And I'm really glad I got my things."

Dawn laughed. "Yeah, you've probably been wearing the same underwear for at least two days now."

"Wh-what…!" He sputtered, his face turning a mild shade of pink. "…I'm gonna go!"

Grabbing his things indignantly, Pearl turned and ran out the door faster than Dawn could react. _Ah, geez!_ She thought with a frown. She was about to ask him if he wanted to travel along with her. After all, it was much more fun if she had a traveling companion. _Oh well, I guess with Pearl it's out of the question…_ She decided, figuring that they would most likely end up running half the time. _…I guess its fine going on my own. It's my time to learn after all._

Dawn paused only to examine the book that Peal had just given her. There was no title but it looked fairly old. She flipped through, finding that it was the notebook that belonged to…her! Inside were all the notes that she took while they were at the school house. She had lent them to Pearl because he never had the attention span to pay attention properly; she never got them back and had forgotten about it. A faint smile spread across her lips. _You're welcome…?_

Feeling happier than when she came in, Dawn exited the Trainer's School and looked at the Town Map. Lucas had said that he was going to head toward Eterna City. She figured that she would have to go another direction. She had two choices: Oreburgh or Canalave City. Canalave was a port city so it seemed more exciting Oreburgh, which specialized in mining. _Definitely Canalave…_ She thought, heading to the western city gate.

Upon reaching her destination, she found an odd old fisherman sitting on a bench. He appeared rather detached. She walked over to him curiously and peered at his face.

"Are you alright, sir?"

He mechanically turned to face her. "…What do you want?"

"Um, well…" She began slowly.

A patrol officer interjected. "Oh, leave him alone. He's no one important."

The fisherman shot the officer a glare but did nothing. However, Dawn spoke up.

"I wanted to talk to him. It doesn't matter to me," She said simply.

The officer blinked. "Suit yourself…"

"…" The man stared at her for a moment. "…I don't know you."

Dawn scratched her head. "Er, that's true…but I just wanted to see what you were staring at."

"…You like fishing?" He said abruptly.

She was a bit surprised. "I never tried, sir."

"Here, take this. I don't want it anymore," He answered, grabbing a battered fishing rod next to him and tossing it to her.

Dawn caught it but looked at the man curiously. "Isn't this yours though…?"

"Don't need it," He said blankly, getting to his feet. "You can put it to better use."

Before she could say anything, the man left, dragging his feet as he walked. She noticed the patrol officer shaking his head, muttering something about the fisherman's sanity. Dawn said nothing but she stowed the rod away. It might be old but she was grateful all the same. She prepared to continue her way past the gate when the patrol officer stopped her.

"You're a new Trainer, right?" He asked.

"…Yes."

He gave his stick a twirl. "Well, don't bother going that way. You can't get across the water."

"Huh? There's no bridge?" She asked, rather alarmed.

The officer shook his head. "Nope."

"…Thanks for telling me…" She answered, walking back to the center of town.

_Great…I guess it's to Oreburgh I go._ She thought, sulking. Dawn began to walk until she noticed something in the distance. It was a red beret. _Lucas…?_ She wondered, heading over for a closer look. Standing by the street corner, she realized that it really was the dark-haired boy. However, he was not standing alone. He was with two people in odd clothes—as well as Professor Rowan!

_What's going on…?_ She thought, noticing that the group was a little ways from the city gate. Few people regarded them, passing by without a glance. Dawn was going to leave as well, if it were not for the fact that Lucas and Professor Rowan appeared to be in a bit of trouble. Making up her mind, she ran toward them. At her arrival the two unknown males looked alarmed. Professor Rowan and Lucas were pleasantly surprised.

"Dawn! I thought you left!" The dark-haired boy exclaimed.

She shook her head. "I saw you and the professor."

"What, don't think that this brat will save you, pops!" One of the men jeered.

The old man looked defiant. "If you think that you will be taking my research, you are sadly mistaken!"

"Research…?" Dawn repeated.

Lucas got her attention. "Dawn! Help me deal with them!"

"Ha, you really want to do this then?" The other man spoke, pulling out a Poké Ball.

Dawn blinked. _A battle with Lucas against them…?_ She smiled. "…You can count on me!"

Both men grinned as they sent out their Pokémon, a Stunky and a Glameow. Lucas chose to use his Turtwig while Dawn called out her Piplup. Professor Rowan stood back in silence.

"It's not too late to hand it over, pops!" The first man said. "We'll just take the info and your grandchildren's Pokémon—how's that?"

"Yeah, before we wipe the floor with them and take everything _anyway_!" The second man added.

Lucas clenched his fist. "You're _not_ going to win! Turtwig, use Tackle!"

At his command, the turtle Pokémon charged at the second man's Glameow. The lavender cat easily avoided the assault, sending Turtwig to a screeching halt.

"Glameow, Scratch!"

"Withdraw!"

Luckily, Turtwig managed to go back into its shell the instant that Glameow's paw raked its shell. The first man used the opportunity to attack.

"We'll show that thing! Fury Swipes!"

As the purple skunk made its way to join the beat down on Lucas's Turtwig, Piplup intervened with a spray of bubbles. The sudden attack stopped Stunky in its tracks as it hit.

"Thanks, Dawn," The dark-haired boy said shortly. "Turtwig, use Tackle…on Stunky!"

The second man's Glameow automatically avoided the turtle's way, making room for it to attack the first man's Stunky.

"H-hey! You're fighting _me_!" The second man cried. "Grr…Glameow, go after it with Scratch!"

Dawn intervened. "Piplup, Bubble!"

As Turtwig seized the chance when Stunky was a bit off from Piplup's last attack, the blue penguin took the opening that Glameow created when it decided to pursue its opponent. Both attacks hit successfully, sending the two men's Pokémon to the floor.

"It's not over—" The first man began to shout.

However, he was interrupted as both Dawn and Lucas took the offensive, issuing commands for Pound and Tackle, respectively. The blows were enough to finish off the two men's Pokémon, sending them back to their proper Poké Balls.

"Winners strike first!" Dawn declared triumphantly.

Lucas crossed his arms. "Now are you going to leave us alone? Or are we going to the police?"

The second man faltered at the mention of the word 'police'. "…Consider yourselves lucky!"

"You'll get yours! No one defies Team Galactic, pops!" The first man spat.

Nevertheless, both men fled in a hurry, leaving the scene with great speed. Dawn congratulated her Piplup while Lucas gave his Turtwig a gentle pat on the head. Professor Rowan watched them both with a satisfied smile. _They're better than I had expected!_ He thought. However, the man's words caused his smile to vanish. _Team Galactic…_

"What was that all about though?" The navy-haired girl inquired.

Professor Rowan patted his briefcase. "They were after my research."

"But professor, what were you doing here?" She pointed out.

Lucas sighed. "It's because he had to give me something… I'm sorry, Prof. Rowan."

"It's quite alright, Lucas. I also needed to do some official business of my own," The older man explained kindly. "Luckily, the two of you were here to assist me. You have both demonstrated quite a bit of growth in such a short notice—I am impressed."

Both children flushed and smiled. Professor Rowan returned it. However, Dawn then tugged at Lucas's sleeve.

"Wait; is this what _he_ meant…?" She whispered. "You know, about 'suspicious activity'?"

Lucas considered her words. "You could be right…"

"Is something the matter?" The old man spoke.

Dawn and Lucas looked at each other before deciding to come clean with the professor, telling him the events of yesterday and this morning. When they were finished, he looked rather serious.

"I see…" He muttered. He then looked them both in the eyes. "Now, I don't want the both of you doing anything dangerous on account of that! It's best if you don't get yourselves involved, understand?"

Lucas nodded upon hearing his words. "I understand, Prof. Rowan."

On the other hand, Dawn remained quiet. What? She was curious! Judging by Professor Rowan's reaction, there must be something bigger going on that most people were unaware of. Plus, if Looker's words were true, then maybe she could get a lead on what it was. She tried to remember what the man said. _Something about…Team…Gala…Galactic!_

"Dawn?" The old man called.

She snapped out of her reverie. "Oh, of course, sir!"

"Good, now I want you both to continue with your journey, okay?" He said sternly. "You shouldn't worry your mothers any more than you are now."

At the mention of her mother, Dawn felt some of the guilt from yesterday night. Her mother would certainly not approve of what she was thinking of doing.

"Ahem, now…"

Dawn forced a smile. "Okay, I'll see you, Prof. Rowan. Lucas."

Waving to the both of them, Dawn began heading toward the eastern city gate. She was still trying to figure out the whole Team Galactic business; so absorbed in her own thoughts that she did not even notice her best friend coming toward her.

"Hey! Dawn!"

She looked up, seeing Pearl. "Huh? You're going this way too?"

"That's right! I'm taking the Gym challenges!" He answered. "So are you, right?"

Dawn paused. She didn't really think about it before. Well, it _was_ an option…

"Heh…or are you taking up _coordinating_ instead?" He teased.

She frowned. "I _am_ taking the Gym challenges! I…I want to be the League Champion too!"

"Ha, ha, not if _I_ can help it!" He answered with a grin. "…Oh but, we can't go this way. We need a bike because of the slopes."

The frown remained on her face. "…You can't be serious."

"I wish I weren't!" He replied, crossing his arms. "Anyway, we'll have to find another route or something… See you!"

With a wave, the blonde was off and running once more. _This is getting old…_ Dawn thought wearily. However, she followed suit, heading back to Jubilife again. _I guess I'll just head on to Eterna City… Maybe I'll find something there._ She decided, walking to the northern gate. Her luck seemed to be a little twisted.

Dawn walked along the dirt path, passing by a few Trainers and patches of tall grass. Once or twice she was challenged to a few battles; she managed to hold her own—surprisingly enough. However, it was clear after her fourth battle that she was not going to last as a Trainer with Piplup alone. She needed to catch another Pokémon.

Breathing in, she entered the tall grass and began searching for a suitable 'victim'. Her eyes lit up when they focused on a black and blue feline creature crouched before her. It seemed ready to pounce, prompting Dawn to send out her Piplup. The little penguin was quite tired from all of the battling but it did its best to seem threatening.

"Okay, Piplup—are you ready for this?"

The blue Pokémon let out chirp in response. The wild Shinx growled, leaping forward in a tackle. Dawn decided to face it head on, issuing out a command for Bubble. The spheres of water hit its target but the Shinx managed to follow through with its attack, colliding into Piplup.

"Wow…it's tough," She murmured. "Are you alright, Piplup?"

The penguin grimaced. It _was_ rather tired. Luckily the impact had been minimized due to the bubbles. The wild Shinx shook its head, preparing itself for another Tackle.

"Okay, this time, dodge!" She ordered. "_Then_ use Bubble!"

Piplup did as it was told; this time was more successful. However, the Shinx still seemed as if it had some fight left in it, taking the offensive once again.

"Geez…" said Dawn. However, she noticed the rock behind her Pokémon. An idea formed in her mind. "Alright, Piplup—dodge at the last minute!"

Catching her drift, the blue bird concentrated on its opponent. Timing it correctly, Piplup leapt backward, letting the Shinx meet with the rock instead. The impact seemed to be effective.

"Now, Pound!" She shouted.

The wild Shinx fell as the attack hit its mark. Seizing the opportunity, Dawn threw a Poké Ball at it, encasing the Shinx inside. The ball shook several times but finally became still. Dawn stood speechless for a moment before scooping up Piplup into a cheery dance.

"Yay, alright! We did it, Piplup!" She exclaimed happily.

The little penguin seemed a bit disgruntled at doing the victory dance with its owner but it was glad all the same. Deciding that it deserved a rest, Dawn allowed Piplup to return into its ball. She picked up the ball on the ground with her newly caught Shinx inside. _The first Pokémon I caught on my own!_

Feeling optimistic, Dawn proceeded forward, approaching the entrance to Eterna Forest.

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, so that wasn't _really_ a meeting between them...but I did say it'd follow through with the game! Anyway, I wasn't sure if a few things appeared rushed or not. I just wanted to get on to the next area. :P It was fun writing out some of the battle scenes though! Oh, I've also decided to add a little preview section to give people an idea of what's to come. If you think that I shouldn't do this, give me a heads up!

_Next:_ _Dawn meets a woman in Eterna Forest who tells her something quite interesting; while Cynthia catches a glimpse of someone from _her _past instead of learning about Sinnoh's._


	5. Eterna: Kinda Like A Date

**A/N:** I'm tired. So here's the next chapter, folks. =____= Buuuuut...reading everyone's reviews is enough to fill me with energy again so I will gladly answer them now. I can do that much at least!

_Chris_ - Alright, I'll keep what you've said in mind! BTW...you're usually first to review, thanks!_  
Meliniumorder_ - Thanks but frankly speaking, I strongly detest Ash. :/_  
Yasetsu_ - Ha, Piplup is male. I prefer it that way. And worry not, there are Cynthia/Dawn moments in this chapter!_  
Nhame_ - I was never great at Pokémon Ranger. :O_  
Miko_ - Thanks for reviewing! oAo People may read but they seldom review! I hope you'll enjoy this chapter!_  
Ms. Account_ - Oh, pardon the misconception--you're a girl! You're reviews fill me with the warm fuzzies. And they make me smile. o///o

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**  
Chapter 4**

Dawn walked into the gate leading to Eterna Forest. It was already afternoon and it was starting to get dark. She decided to take a small break at one of the nearby seats. There were a few people inside as well but they mainly chose to keep to themselves. Taking a drink from her water bottle, she was alarmed when her phone suddenly rang. She fumbled to close the bottle while trying to answer it.

"Hello?"

_"Ah, ha, ha, ha…hey, Dawn!"_

She sighed. "What is it, Pearl?"

_"I just thought I'd tell you that I made a slight…uh…miscon—con…"_

"Misconception?" She finished.

_"Yeah, that's it! You know when I told you that we couldn't go to Oreburgh because of the slopes? Well…I'm sort of…wrong."_

Dawn felt her grip on the phone tighten. "And…?"

_"Ha, ha! Imagine that! I went the wrong way! If you kept going east, you would've just needed to pass through a cave!"_ He laughed.

"What's the point in telling me this now!?" She exclaimed, causing a few people to look her way.

He thought about it for a moment before answering_. "Uh, none, I guess… I'm just giving you a heads up because I'm gonna go and get my first badge there!"_

"…That's great."

_"Alright, can't talk forever! See ya!"_

After he hung up, Dawn slipped her phone back into her pocket, sighing wearily. It would take forever to return to Jubilife City; she had already wasted plenty of time walking from gate to gate already. She might have already passed through Eterna Forest already if it were not for that. _I might as well go on…_

Dawn pulled out her Town Map and looked it over. _Let's see…oh! There's a Gym in Eterna! I can get _my_ first badge there instead._ She decided; she also looked over the routes to Oreburgh. _Then I can head south and get the badge from Oreburgh second._ _I wonder if that's out of order… Oh well, I already took a shortcut anyway! Missed Floaroma Town…_

Getting to her feet, Dawn continued on, exiting the forest gate building. The sudden change in surroundings was rather alarming. She now found herself before a semi-faded dirt path with rows and clumps of trees on all sides. Grass and shrubs grew wildly, littering the ground. She felt small standing out in the open, listening to the sounds of the wild Pokémon around her. There was also an odd feel to the forest that made it a bit peculiar…

"Oh, excuse me!"

Dawn looked over. A woman with long emerald green hair as well as eyes and a dress that matched it came toward her. She seemed mildly distressed.

"You're a Trainer, right?" She asked.

The fourteen-year-old nodded. "Um, can I help you?"

"Well, I was wondering if you could go with me through the forest," The woman explained. "I was waiting so long for someone to come."

Dawn shuddered slightly. She was saying something that was reminiscent of the tale of a ghost woman who died waiting for her lover; a story that her mother told her long ago. _Don't be silly! She doesn't _look_ like a ghost…_

"Why's that?" She asked.

The woman fidgeted with her hair. "I'm afraid to go through alone because of…Team Galactic."

"Team Galactic?" Dawn repeated, now interested. "Why would they be here?"

The woman looked a bit apprehensive. "I've heard that they've been rather unruly in this area lately. I'm here to visit a relative but I'm scared to go alone. I was hoping a Trainer could help me…"

Dawn examined her for a moment before answering. "Well, I don't mind but—"

"Oh, thank you! My name is Cheryl," The green-haired woman said happily, clasping her hands together. "I'm very grateful."

Dawn twitched slightly. "Um, okay then… I'm Dawn. I'm not a very _strong_ Trainer; I just thought I'd tell you first…"

Cheryl shook her head with a smile. "Un, that's not true. No other Trainer wanted to help me—no matter how strong they _acted_. For you to agree to go with me…that's enough for me."

The navy-haired girl scratched her head sheepishly. If she put it _that_ way, it was rather hard to refuse. Then again, she was not about to say no anyway. Her Pokémon were extremely tired at the moment and she herself was feeling a bit lonely. Having an ally was definitely not a bad idea. Besides, maybe this woman could tell her more about Team Galactic. The only thing Dawn knew about them was that they were a big-shot company from Eastern Sinnoh that produced energy.

"Oh, are your Pokémon tired?" Cheryl asked. "I can heal them."

Upon hearing her words, Dawn's expression lightened. "Can you?"

Cheryl smiled, taking out a Poké Ball. She then sent out a round, light pink creature with an egg settled in a pouch attached to its midriff. It gave her a happy greeting.

"My Chansey can heal other Pokémon," She explained. "You've seen them before in Pokémon Centers, haven't you?"

Dawn nodded, taking out two Poké Balls. "In that case, do you mind helping Piplup and Shinx out?"

"Of course."

After the healing, Piplup seemed back to normal; Shinx recovered enough to look at her curiously. It sniffed at her boots for a moment then backed off in a pouncing position. Piplup stood a little ways behind her, trying to look disinterested—and failing.

"They're adorable!" Cheryl exclaimed. "Did you just catch that Shinx recently?"

Dawn scratched her head. "Ah, ha, ha…yeah. They're my only two Pokémon."

"Oh, don't worry!" The green-haired woman said lightly. "You might catch something else as you travel."

Dawn nodded. "Mm, let's go then!" She tried to return Shinx into its ball first, but it avoided the ray of red light. "Um…Shinx, return!"

Again, it moved out of the way, showing her its teeth; however, its tail was swaying back and forth as if it was playing a game. Cheryl watched with interest while Dawn made an effort to get the feline back into its ball.

"Shinx!" She cried, growing embarrassed.

The black and blue creature let out playful growl. Then Piplup interrupted, hopping beside it. Dawn watched what seemed like her Piplup telling off her Shinx for being an idiot. Maybe those were not the exact words, but it appeared close enough. Though amazingly, Shinx sat back down semi-obediently. Piplup turned to the side, looking satisfied.

"…Shinx return!" Dawn shouted, taking the opportunity.

This time, it worked. She looked from the Poké Ball and back to the blue penguin. Cheryl appeared amused.

"That was odd," She commented.

Dawn smiled, patting Piplup on the head. "He always helps me out!"

Cheryl returned it. "Well then, let's go. The sooner we get to Eterna City, the better!"

"Mm, okay."

The two of them began their journey through the forest. Dawn managed to see plenty of wild Pokémon, as well as the ones from other Trainers she battled against. Cheryl was a great help; she allowed Dawn to practice freely because her Chansey was able to heal Dawn's Pokémon after every battle. As she won each of them, Dawn felt herself growing more and more accustomed to handling both Piplup _and_ Shinx.

Though it had been awhile since they had started, the forest made it feel as if _no_ time had passed at all. They decided to stop for a break as they approached an odd mansion in the middle of the forest. Cheryl sat down against a rock, taking out a water bottle and some food. Dawn stood a little ways from the building, completely in awe of it.

"Wow…" She whispered. "Its so…"

The green-haired woman examined her expression curiously. "That's the Old Chateau. It's been abandoned for awhile I think."

"Why?" The fourteen-year-old inquired, not taking her eyes off of the mansion.

Cheryl slowly lowered her water bottle after taking a drink. "I'm not sure…but I think that it's supposed to be haunted…"

Dawn said nothing. The forest had an odd feel to it from the start; she was sure that the mansion had something to do with it. Watching it gave her a strange sensation. Cheryl was a bit worried.

"Dawn? Why don't you have a snack?"

The navy-haired girl finally turned, snapping out of her trance. "Oh, you're right. I'm really hungry!"

Cheryl was relieved, handing the younger girl a rice ball. "You ought to feed your Pokémon as well. I can give you some food for them."

"Wow, are you sure?" Dawn asked, taking the rice ball.

She nodded, pulling out a small bag filled with brown pellets. "It's fine. Think of it as a gift for going with me. Though, you _should_ buy some Pokémon Food of your own when you get to town."

As the Pokémon were released from their balls, she gave them handfuls of the pellets. Dawn examined the bag, remembering the brand—as Shinx seemed to like it a lot, devouring the small pile rather quickly.

Cheryl also added, "I haven't seen you catch anything either. Did you run out of Poké Balls?"

At her last remark, Dawn scratched her head sheepishly. "Ah, well…I'm not very good at catching Pokémon yet."

"Oh? That's odd! You battle very well for a new Trainer," The older woman commented.

Dawn smiled slightly. "Thanks! I guess I'll focus on that for now…"

"I suppose so. I only carry Chansey around with me most of the time," She admitted, watching as the three Pokémon ate.

The younger girl took a drink of water from her bottle. "Cheryl, do you live in Eterna City?"

"No, I come from Floaroma Town," She answered. "A relative of mine lives in Eterna."

Dawn tilted her head slightly. "Floaroma?"

"Mm, have you ever been there? You should have," said Cheryl.

The navy-haired girl pulled out her map. "I didn't use the main road. I took an alternative route since it was shorter. I wanted to get to Eterna quickly; since there's no Gym in Floaroma…"

"I see… Good luck taking on the Gym Challenges," The older woman replied. "But it _is_ a shame, not visiting Floaroma Town. There are a lot of things to see."

Dawn gave it a moment of thought before answering. "Hey, you still have to get back, right?'

"W-well, yes but I thought that my relative would be able to lend me a hand…" said Cheryl.

The younger girl smiled. "Why don't you take me with you? After I get my badge in Eterna, I still need to go back to Jubilife so I can get to Oreburgh. It'd be nice to visit Floaroma this time around!"

Cheryl's face lit up. "You would really accompany me back?"

"Mm! I want to see Floaroma too!"

The green-haired woman clapped her hands together. "Then I agree!"

Once both of them and their Pokémon were finished eating, Dawn noticed that it was dark. It was quite easy to lose track of time in this forest it seemed…

"Oh, we must hurry if we want to arrive at Eterna City before it gets cold," Cheryl stated.

"You're right, let's get going!"

As they passed the Old Chateau, Dawn could not help but stare at the building again. Its windows were dark and everything was near shambles. However, the mansion gave off a lonely atmosphere; as if it felt sad for being deserted. It was as if it was alive—or at least had _something_ 'living' inside it; maybe _that_ was the thing that was giving off a feeling of sadness.

"You shouldn't go near there."

Both Dawn and Cheryl turned at the sound of the voice. The owner was a young woman with auburn short hair. Dressed in a green cloak and khaki shorts, she was standing not too far away. She walked up to Dawn and followed the previous path of her gaze toward the mansion.

"It's haunted," She began. "People have been talking about Ghost Pokémon and weird shadows that show up at night. A lot of them try to go in and check it out but…"

Dawn swallowed. "But…?"

The other woman narrowed her eyes slightly, making the situation seem a bit more dramatic. However, her answer wasn't. "I don't know."

"What…? That's not—"

The woman scratched her head. "Well, I _would_ check it out myself but I'm really busy so… ha, ha, ha…" She quickly added, "…I-I'm not scared or anything, mind you!"

Dawn couldn't help but smile. Cheryl was stifling a chuckle. The shorter woman crossed her arms and faced them.

"Look, why don't we all get out of here?" She said impatiently. "Are you two lost?"

Dawn shook her head. "No, but it'd be nice if you could get us to Eterna City quickly, uh…"

"Sure thing! I know this place like the back of my hand!" The woman exclaimed. "And it's Gardenia."

Cheryl blinked. "Gardenia? The Gym Leader?"

"That's right! Now you know why I'm so busy!" She answered impressively.

"Wow, a Gym Leader…I thought it'd be someone older," Dawn commented.

Gardenia waved her hand dismissively. "I'm actually twenty! Besides, age doesn't matter _too_ much when it comes to battling!"

"Then I have a chance, right?"

Gardenia examined the younger girl. "You're going to take the Gym Challenge? Does that mean that you've already gotten the Coal Badge?"

"Um, well…no but…"

The twenty-year-old began to laugh. "You're interesting! I can't wait to battle you! Now, c'mon! We still have to get outta here."

Dawn and Cheryl exchanged glances but followed the Gym Leader out of the forest. She was telling the truth. It would have taken Dawn and Cheryl a few more hours to get out, but with Gardenia as their guide, all three of them were in Eterna City within thirty minutes.

"Oh, thank you, the both of you!" Cheryl exclaimed.

Gardenia crossed her arms, a grin on her face. "What did I tell you?"

Dawn said nothing. She was taking in the view of the city. She had been tired awhile ago, but now she felt re-energized; it was like her first trip to Jubilife. Of course, she had no intention of repeating that night's events.

"Hey, you okay?" The Gym Leader inquired, waving a hand in front of Dawn's face.

The navy-haired girl smiled. "I'm fine! Thanks for showing us the way!"

Gardenia breathed out, placing her hands into her pockets. "Ha, ha…I'll see _you_ again, I know. For now, why don't you both just get some rest?"

"Mm, good-bye then," Cheryl replied.

She and Dawn watched as Gardenia left. Once she was out of sight, Cheryl turned to Dawn.

"Why don't you come with me to my aunt's place, Dawn?"

"If you don't mind…"

Cheryl smiled. "Oh, I'm sure it's fine!"

Dawn followed Cheryl to Eterna Condominiums, where the green-haired woman was able to contact her relative. Heading to the second floor, they were greeted by an elderly woman who invited them both in. After the introductions and greetings were exchanged, Dawn was allowed to settle on the couch. Of course, she had full bathroom privileges as well; once she was done with her shower, she was fixing her sleeping spot. Cheryl was catching up with her aunt in another room. The fourteen-year-old debated whether or not to go out for awhile but she decided against it; the clock read 3:45 after all. Sighing wearily, she ended up falling asleep rather quickly.

***

"I see, so that's why you've been so moody lately."

Cynthia gave her Togekiss a gentle pat on the head before calling it back into its Poké Ball. She picked up the egg it left behind and examined it. The egg was white with red and blue triangles printed on it. As grateful as she was that her Togekiss would be able to return to normal after this, she was not too keen on having to carry around an egg; not at the moment anyway.

She thought of her options. _I could send it back and have Lucian take care of it for me._ Then again, that _wasn't_ an option; Lucian was busy and she didn't want him to be loaded with more work. _Especially if it involves me again._ She thought sheepishly. _My grand—no. _That was just a simple no; end of story. _I'll have to drop it off somewhere…_

The blonde woman sighed, placing the egg aside. She went to the bed and fell on her back. After she had left Jubilife, she chose to head toward Eterna City. She used her Togekiss for the journey since she didn't want people to associate her with a Garchomp at the moment. However, it took a lot longer than it normally would; Cynthia found out why not too long ago. She arrived in Eterna City a little bit after twelve P.M. and spent the rest of the day taking care of her Togekiss. The reason she chose to go to Eterna City instead of Floaroma or Oreburgh was to visit the museum. Technically, she _was_ on vacation! However, her plans were dashed because of Togekiss. Of course, she did not blame the Pokémon either.

Her thoughts drifted off to the detective. After a sloppy good-bye to him, the two of them had been out of contact. Much to her relief, he did not call.

_Beep. Beep. Beep._ So much for that!

"Yes?"

Indeed, Looker's voice came on the other side of the receiver. "Miss Champion!"

"Cynthia is fine," The blonde corrected wearily. Usually she never bothered a second time but maybe someone would finally catch on.

_"Right. Now I have some news for you,"_ He began hastily_. "There was something going on at Jubilife—right after we left!"_

Cynthia took the phone away from her ear for a moment before answering. "Go ahead."

_"Prof. Rowan was there,"_ He said dramatically. _"Two Galactic goons were seen battling with those two kids! I think that they were after him."_

"…Did they succeed?"

_"No, but I also heard that there was something going on in Floaroma. Maybe you can intercept their operation!" _He suggested. He also added, _"I'm heading there tomorrow. It's quiet here in Oreburgh…"_

Cynthia's expression slightly lit up. "Oh, well…I'm in Eterna right now, I'm not sure I'll be able to do anything. It's late."

_"Eterna?"_ The detective repeated. _"Eterna City?"_

The Champion mentally cheered. She would be able to relax! However, Looker proved otherwise; _he_ was the one who sounded happy.

_"That's fantastic! The western Team Galactic HQ is there!"_ He exclaimed with excitement. _"If you can snoop around, there's bound to be something we can use against them!"_

Cynthia could have slapped herself. "Ah, right…I'll…see what I can do."

_"…Okay, I think there was something else I wanted to say…"_ He began slowly. _"Hm…what was it…?"_

The blonde grew impatient. "Well, good night, detective. I don't think it's wise to talk for too long."

_"You're right! The risks—"_

Cynthia hung up. She dropped her phone next to her. _Okay, I got my 'assignment' then…_ Thinking about it made her tired; especially because _that man_ was involved. _Cyrus…_ He had been an acquaintance in the past. He had worked with her grandmother for a short time before; however, he had long severed all ties with them. When Cynthia learned that he had become the head of Team Galactic, she was a bit concerned. She knew Cyrus. Back when he was working with her grandmother as a businessman, she had always found him odd. Maybe not just odd but a little bit…off as well. His policies usually put gaining power and position first—even at the expense of others. Now that he was the leader of Team Galactic, who knows what he had been doing? That was the reason why she agreed to help Looker; she had to find out—and stop Cyrus if he was guilty.

She turned to the clock, which read 3:14. _I ought to sleep…_ She thought. However, she did the exact opposite. She dressed and left the room. Outside, the cool night air helped to ease her mind. Cynthia made a stop at the Poké Mart next door to purchase a few things. The blonde looked over at the Gym in the distance. _Perhaps she can watch the egg for me?_ She pondered; that egg still had to be taken care of after all. _We'll see._

Making her way back outside, Cynthia walked around the block; on one occasion, she could have sworn that she saw Cyrus. However, when she looked again, he was not there… _Maybe I'm thinking too much._ She decided to head back to her rented room at the condominium. At the front desk however, was a familiar face. Cynthia recognized her as the one from Jubilife City. She was actually quite surprised to see the girl here; since she expected for her to go to Oreburgh. With a shrug, Cynthia went back to her room and decided to get some rest; the sight of the girl managed to distract her from Cyrus, so she was thankful for that. _Small world…_

***

It was morning. The first important thing that she did was check on her Togekiss; then Cynthia was out. She knew that it was essential that she start looking into Team Galactic, but she wanted to have fun first! It was nine. There was plenty of time. So instead of going to the Team Galactic building, Cynthia headed straight for the ancient statue that was a popular tourist destination; even at nine the area around there was fairly crowded.

In her arms was the egg from yesterday. The second item on her to-do list was to pay Gardenia a visit. They were not exactly close friends but Cynthia felt that she knew Gardenia well enough to ask her a favor. It was an opportunity to test out her disguise too.

Upon reaching the statue, she could not believe her eyes; not at the statue's beauty _or_ whatever it was that she found interesting about it. It was _him_! Or at least, his back. Cynthia stood rigidly for a moment, watching as a man with sky blue hair walked away. She came to her senses when she realized that she could possibly confront Cyrus now and cut the investigation short; that way, she could _really_ enjoy herself. And stop his evil doings too of course.

However, before she could call out to him, Cyrus had disappeared into the crowd of people on the streets. She was hurrying through, excusing herself as she forcefully tried to get past the people. One would think that Cyrus would be fairly easy to spot, but it was more difficult than it seemed.

A group of ten-year-olds decided that it would be fun to play tag in the middle of a crowd; one—make that several of them knocked into her as they ran.

"Oops, sorry."

Cynthia glared at the boys before watching the egg fly out of her arms in dismay. If one were to look at the bright side, at least she didn't _drop_ it—_that_ would be clumsy; she _tossed_ it—there was a difference.

"What's this?"

The blonde turned over, expecting to see the fallen egg in pieces, spilt over someone's shoes, but it wasn't. The boys took the opportunity to scram. The egg was in the arms of a girl with a white hat and a red scarf. It had been awhile since Cynthia felt glad to meet someone. The girl looked a bit confused at first but she put two and two together. Both of them stepped out of the walkers' path and met at the side of the street.

"Uh, this must be yours, right?"

Cynthia smiled genuinely for once. "Yes! I'm so glad you were able to catch it."

"I was just lucky," The girl replied. "Er, well…maybe it's this little fella who was."

The older woman laughed. "That's more likely."

"I've never seen a Pokémon egg before…" The girl said, examining the egg intriguingly. "What kind of Pokémon is it?"

Cynthia did not answer. Maybe this was what you'd call 'fate'? She thought it over. The girl looked at her expression curiously.

"Miss?"

"It's Cynthia," She answered almost automatically. The blonde mentally cringed when she said it. She was supposed to be in disguise!

"Okay, Cynthia then," The girl repeated with a nod. "Oh, I'm Dawn."

The older woman smiled. "It's nice to meet you, Dawn. Are you busy?"

"Uh, not really…kind of…" The navy-haired girl replied slowly.

Cynthia glanced elsewhere with a false look of sadness. "Ah well, that's a shame. I was hoping that I could thank you properly…"

Dawn faltered. _What's with…?_ The woman acted a little bit differently from what she had expected; she seemed like the rigid, no nonsense type. Dawn found out that she was wrong. However, she also found that she was making a contradiction as well. She had originally intended to go sight-seeing around town for awhile then head over to the Gym, but now it was a different story.

"Wait, I'm not _really_ busy," She answered. "I just arrived that's all. I was going to walk around…"

The blonde woman smiled again. "Great, that was what _I_ was doing. How about we go together?

"…I guess I could use the company," Dawn replied. "Oh, your egg!"

"Hm…why don't you hold on to that for now?" The older woman suggested. "I might drop it again."

A smile grew on her face as well. "Okay then…"

The two of them began their walk, taking note of the areas of interest. Dawn found out that Cynthia knew a lot of things about the places in Eterna City. It made her match more with her appearance. The older woman also seemed particularly interested in the museum as well. She insisted that they go in for a look. The majority of the time passed by in there. Dawn had expected herself to be bored to death but Cynthia somehow made thousand-year-old slabs of rock seem exciting. That took skill on its own, right?

Cynthia wasn't sure if it was the fact that she finally got to do what she liked after for so long, but she was having fun. Starting from the point when the younger girl rescued her egg, she had only been smiling authentically—something that she found difficult to do for the past year or so. Maybe it was also the fact that she was not going around as the Champion, but simply herself. She felt a bit more relaxed.

"Wow, you're really into that kind of thing," Dawn commented once they were outside again.

The older woman looked at the sky briefly. "I think that it's important for us to learn about the past. It helps us understand who we are. A lot of people take ordinary things for granted."

"…That _might_ be true," The navy-haired girl admitted. "But I think that the future is more important."

Cynthia looked over at the shorter girl in surprise. Usually people just agreed with her and that would be it. "Oh?"

"Well, I _do_ think that we should be thankful for what people have done for us," She continued. "I just think that by focusing on what we're doing _now_, we can improve the future." Dawn smiled faintly. She was speaking more to herself now. "That's what _I'm_ working for—improvement. I don't want to be stuck—I want to keep going."

Cynthia said nothing in return. Instead, she watched the younger girl with mild interest as they walked. _…Is that so…?_

Dawn glanced over to her new companion. "Uh, sorry if I got carried away… It sounds weird coming from me!"

"Ha, ha…want some ice cream?" The older woman asked abruptly.

"What?"

The blonde motioned her over by an ice cream stand. It was an odd sight indeed. After all, Cynthia looked like she belonged in an office or like she was on a business trip; what was she doing at an ice cream stand? However, Dawn quickly got over it as she spotted her favorite flavor.

"A scoop of strawberry please!" She said cheerfully.

The ice cream man gave her what she wanted and in no time, Dawn began eating. Both she and the ice cream man looked over at Cynthia, who stood in silence. She appeared to be in deep thought.

"Cynthia? I thought you wanted some," said the fourteen-year-old curiously.

"I can't decide…" The blonde muttered. She then turned to Dawn. "What do you think I should get: strawberry, cookies n' cream, or chocolate-mint?"

Dawn scratched her head. "Um, well…they all sound good."

"Mm…then I'll have…a three scoop cone with chocolate-mint-strawberry and cookies n' cream!" The older woman declared, sounding almost as happy as Dawn did.

The ice cream man handed Cynthia her ice cream cone, which she began to eat contently. As they walked away, Dawn couldn't help but laugh.

"Wow, that's unexpected!" She commented.

Cynthia smiled lightly, licking her frozen treat. "What? The fact that I eat ice cream?"

"Maybe, but also…" The younger girl answered. "It's the fact that you're so indecisive!"

The blonde let out a short laugh. "Well, luckily you were there to help me out again. Maybe I should consider keeping you around."

Dawn nearly dropped her ice cream at the older woman's comment. However, before she could answer, a sudden commotion caused a momentary distraction; for them anyway—no body else really cared. A pair of Team Galactic goons was telling off some little boy. The two men were shooing the boy away harshly. They were successful, as he gave up and slinked away looking defeated.

Cynthia examined the two men. Satisfied, they reentered the Team Galactic building. She sighed. It reminded her that she had a job to do. She had already used up a little more than half the day playing around with Dawn so it was time to get it together.

"Dawn," She began.

However, the younger girl was no longer beside her. She was currently talking to the little boy from earlier. Cynthia smiled faintly, making her way to the pair of children.

"What's wrong?" She inquired.

"He said that he was looking for his boss," Dawn explained. "He said that some people from Team Galactic wanted took him to the building but he hasn't come back."

The boy nodded. "Mr. Rickshaw's been gone since yesterday. How am I gonna get paid? I cleaned the bikes and everything!"

"Why don't you go home? He'll be back soon," Cynthia reassured.

As the boy left, Dawn looked back at Cynthia. "He will?"

The older woman smiled again, but this time, it was all business. "I'm afraid this is the end of our date, Dawn. I have some thing to take care of."

"Huh? What—" The navy-haired girl sputtered.

With a wave, the blonde woman took her leave, blending into the crowd; she was staring at the Galactic Eterna Building… Dawn stood feeling a bit dejected at first but a sudden thought formed in her mind. She remembered the detective's words. He had told her to keep an eye out for anything out of the ordinary. This fit the description enough. Besides, both Professor Rowan and Cheryl had mentioned something about Team Galactic; it was definitely worth looking into.

"Okay! I'll do it!" She decided firmly.

Nevertheless, she wavered. She only had _two_ Pokémon—there was absolutely no way she would stand a chance. _Maybe I should've tried catching more in Eterna Forest…_ Dawn shook her head. It was too late to think about that now. _I know, I'll take the subtle approach!_ The best she could probably do at the moment was probably spying.

Making up her mind, Dawn decided that she would wait until it was nighttime. For now, she would practice her battling skills. _There's bound to be more Trainers here._ She thought, beginning her search. However, a sudden realization came to her as she walked—she was still carrying the egg that Cynthia told her to watch over.

* * *

**  
A/N: **Regarding the previous chapter, I realized that I was on crack and made horrible mistakes. I skipped not only Oreburgh but also Floaroma! So, that explains the messy cover-up. I'm just gonna say that it was so Dawn and Cynthia could meet so you all can feel satisfied. ^___^; Anyway, I don't plan on doing that again; I want to stick to the basic game story line. It was only luck that I managed to think of something to work this out. Even then it's a bit silly... =___=; But er...thanks for dealing with it.

_Next_: _You don't keep things that don't belong to you! You also don't play ninja when you only have two Pokémon._


	6. Eterna: Mission FAIL

**A/N:** I'm sorry for the late update. I had writer's block! I'm not sure whether or not that this chapter's up to snuff but you guys would tell me, right? Hopefully it's not loaded with mistakes.

_Nartog_ - I'm still used to 'Chris'. :O But have fun on your vacation. The story will still be here when you get back._  
Yasetsu_ - I update too slow for this to be a walk-through! But thanks for reading anyway. ^__^_  
Nhame_ - I like strawberry myself. ;) I'm not too sure about a Ranger fic though. I don't know enough!_  
Miko_ - Thanks for the feedback, it helps! I _was_ thinking about a Starly but that seems so ordinary--I had something better in mind but it'll take some time. :D_  
Shadowblack_ & _Ms. Account_ - The two of you are super awesome. X3 Thanks for pointing out my writing boo-boos. I tried to fix everything as best as I could but be sure to tell me if something's not up to scratch. Good thing you two pay attention!_  
Blue Masquerade_ - Glad you liked it & thanks for the review! :3

* * *

**  
Chapter 5**

"Okay, calm down. You can find her again."

Dawn breathed in. After realizing that she was holding onto something that did not belong to her—that she had no idea how to deal with, she desperately searched for its owner. She had tried looking for the said owner, but the older woman had vanished without a trace. Dawn had spent nearly two hours trying to find her. She paid a visit to the places that they had passed by earlier, but to no avail. Now she was left feeling rather upset, with the egg held tightly in her arms. It did not feel like a burden but rather a treasure; something far too delicate for her to handle.

At the moment, the fourteen-year-old was resting on a bench by the bicycle shop, the egg sitting in her lap. She studied it for awhile, examining the red and blue patterns across the white surface. _She never even told me what this little guy was!_ _But…what will happen if I can't find her again? I don't know the first thing about eggs! …Well, I know the basics from school but—that's not the point!_ That was right. She could not keep the egg since she was not its proper owner. _Geez…it's like she disappeared or something…_

"Huh? It's you!"

Dawn looked up at the sudden voice. It was that little boy from before. He was wearing a blue cap with shorts that matched it. He came from the shop; when he saw her, he took a seat beside the older girl.

"What are you doing here? Did you find Mr. Rickshaw?"

Dawn shook her head. "I'm sorry, no." At her words, the boy's face fell so she added, "But don't worry! I'll get him back for you."

"How're you gonna do that?" The boy asked, skeptically. "You're not that much bigger than me."

Dawn's eye slightly twitched. "I'm fourteen! How old are _you_?"

"Ten," He answered proudly. "And I'm turning eleven next month!"

"That still makes me older than you," She stated in an as-matter-of-fact tone.

The boy pursed his lip. "So?"

Dawn patted his head. "I said that I'd help you so I will!"

"…Okay," He replied, sounding a little bit more reassured. He looked at the object settled in her arms. "What's that?"

Dawn held it up slightly. "This? It's a Pokémon egg, ever seen one before?" The boy shook his head. She paused for a moment. "Or better yet, have you seen that person I was with this morning?"

"Was she your tutor?"

"Eh…no. My teacher was a man—wait a minute, answer my question!"

The ten-year-old scratched his head. "She stopped by and asked me questions too."

He got her attention. "What kind of questions? Where did she go?"

"It was about Mr. Rickshaw. I kind of forgot," He replied. "I don't know where she went."

Dawn sighed. "Oh well, thanks then…"

"You're not gonna ask me anything?"

"No, you already told me everything when we first met," She answered.

"Oh."

The two of them sat quietly for a moment before the boy decided to break the silence. It kind of took her by surprise.

"I wish I had a Pokémon…" He murmured.

"You don't have one?" She inquired.

The boy shook his head slowly. "Mommy said that I have to help her work since daddy's not here."

"…" Dawn listened to him silently.

He was talking to his knees. "Mr. Rickshaw said that when I turn eleven, he'll give me a bike so I can go wherever I want." His fists balled up and he looked her in the eye. His tone was desperate. "You _have_ to help him! If he can come back, the bike won't even matter!"

Dawn got to her feet, her eyes toward the ground. The boy watched her with a sense of despair. He had no else to turn to. The police had decided to turn a blind eye to Team Galactic activity in the area for awhile now—and it was not about to change. He was afraid. He hated to admit it, but it was true. He had told himself many times over that if he had a Pokémon, he would save his boss himself but he knew that that wasn't the case. It was his mom's fault! If she hadn't—

"Don't worry," She said with a light smile. "I know."

With that said, he watched as the navy-haired girl turned and walked away. However, instead of feeling sad, he actually felt relieved. _Mr. Rickshaw…_

A little ways from the shop, Dawn looked down at the egg in her arms. Coming to a decision, she pulled out her spare white scarf and carefully wrapped it around the egg before stowing it into her bag. She had to put that aside for now. At the moment, she needed to get stronger—fast. Maybe she hardly knew what she was getting herself into, because she was _incapable_ of doing something; however, she understood that she couldn't just stand by and do _nothing _either. She was not doing this because she felt like it was a civil duty—that she _had_ to do it; it was rather that she _wanted_ to do it. _The reason…_

Making up her mind, Dawn quickly found her first opponent. She would battle all the Trainers she could until it was time.

***

Cheryl stood by the entrance of the Gym, her eyes scanning the women inside. Her expression fell. "Odd, she's not here either."

"Huh! I didn't think that you'd be the one to come here for a challenge!"

The emerald-haired woman turned to the speaker, who had just exited through the sliding doors. "Gardenia. Oh, I'm not here to battle."

"Aw, I was getting kinda bored," replied the twenty-year-old. "No challengers today."

Cheryl tapped her chin. "Hm…I thought that Dawn would show up. I haven't seen her all day! She left rather early."

"Is that so? That's what _I_ thought but sorry, I haven't seen the kid either!" The Gym Leader answered with a shrug. "Why are you looking for her?"

"I thought that I would show her around but she was gone when I woke up," explained Cheryl. "I was hoping to find her here."

"Eh? Are you two going out?"

Both Cheryl and Gardenia turned; speak of the devil! Dawn was standing a little ways behind them. Cheryl looked elsewhere, slightly abashed. Gardenia laughed.

"Of course not, I was just asking Gardenia if she has seen you today."

"I'm sure that's not what she meant."

Dawn scratched her head. "Huh?"

"Ha, ha, don't worry about it!" The Gym Leader answered lightly. "Where were you all day? I thought you'd show up first thing in the morning!"

Cheryl examined the younger girl. "I was going to show you around but you left so early! And without breakfast too…"

"Er, well…I thought that I'd walk around and see things on my own," Dawn replied. "I didn't want to disturb you." She also added, "Besides, I met someone that helped me out, it's fine! Oh, but I think I _am_ ready for the challenge _now_."

The green-haired woman listened quietly. Dawn managed to grab Gardenia's interest again at the mention of the challenge.

"Alright, that's what I've been waiting to hear!" She exclaimed. "But we'll find out how ready you are in a minute; you have to beat all of the other Trainers in my Gym before you can face _me_."

The younger girl faltered slightly but regained her usual demeanor quickly. "Okay, no problem. I've been practicing too!"

All three of them entered the building. Inside was much more impressive than Dawn had ever imagined. It was not just a plain old room; it was almost like being outdoors. There was grass, trees, flowers, you name it. In the center was a giant garden; there were stairs leading to a mechanical walkway above the flowers designed to look like leaves. The whole structure seemed to be some sort of clock. Along certain areas of the Gym were water fountains.

"Pretty cool right?" said Gardenia proudly. "I designed it myself! Er, well, I came up with most of the idea anyway…"

Cheryl laughed. "Well, why don't you get started, Dawn? We'll watch you."

"I'll be there," Gardenia explained, pointing beyond the 12 o'clock platform. "And I don't want Cheryl here to give you advice so she'll be coming _with_ me."

It was Dawn's turn to laugh. "I understand…"

Much to Cheryl's chagrin, the Gym Leader whisked her away behind one of the fountains, leaving Dawn to face the stairs alone. _Well, let's start! If I can do _this_ then I'll have no problem with those Galactic Guys… _She locked eyes with another girl who stood by the first set of stairs. The girl smirked, which signaled that she got the message that Dawn wanted a battle.

The girl sent out a magenta-colored Pokémon that resembled a fruit. Dawn decided to go with Shinx.

"You can't beat my Cherubi with just _that_!"

"We'll see, won't we?"

Thankfully, Dawn was able to prove the girl wrong. Not only did Shinx defeat Cherubi, but also the girl's Roselia as well. However, it was not without injuries; her Shinx was now poisoned. Glad that she had decided to stop by the Poké Mart before going to the Gym, Dawn took out small spray bottle.

"Good job, Shinx," She said, stroking the creature's head as she held up the bottle. "Just hold—still!"

The idea of being sprayed with some odd liquid was not very appealing, causing Shinx to struggle in an attempt to break free of Dawn's grasp. She felt her cheeks redden considerably. She knew that other Trainers, even worse—Gardenia and Cheryl were watching. The girl who she had battled earlier was stifling a laugh.

"Shinx…!" She hissed, holding the bottle in one hand while the other was locked around the Pokémon's paw. "Can't you be good!? I'm trying to help you!"

The creature looked at the bottle disdainfully; it was still attempting to break free. It _was_ feeling rather ill at the moment but the bottle seemed worse. Dawn sighed, letting go at last, surprising it.

"We're being laughed at _and_ you're poisoned!" She said heatedly.

Shinx examined its owner curiously. She seemed to be distressed. The penguin had said earlier that it was making her look like an idiot back in Eterna Forest. Piplup had also said that if Dawn looked like an idiot, it reflected on her _Pokémon_. Was this one of those times?

To Dawn surprise—or rather gratefulness, Shinx decided to sit still; it made a noise to get her attention, which made it rather hard for her to stay irritated after hearing. She held out the bottle again. This time, Shinx allowed her to use the Antidote without a fuss.

"Phew, good boy…" She sighed. "Don't you feel better?"

Both Pokémon and Trainer seemed much happier afterward. Dawn returned the feline back into its ball before continuing up the stairs. The girl was looking at her with amusement; it made her feel somewhat embarrassed but she did her best to get over it.

Her next opponent was an older woman. She sent out three Budews, but Dawn managed to defeat one of them with Shinx and surprisingly—two with Piplup, despite the type disadvantage. _I thought I'd have some trouble with Grass types! Don't think that I didn't prepare!_ She had been focusing on Piplup's speed and agility ever since she found that Eterna City's Gym Leader was a Grass type user. Her ace was Piplup's ability to use Peck; as long as it struck first, she would be able to win. It worked so far.

However, the third Trainer proved to be better than the first two, even if she only had one Pokémon. The woman's Roselia put up a rather difficult fight. It made it clear to Dawn that she couldn't keep going with her strategy if she wanted to beat the Gym Leader. The Roselia had nearly knocked Piplup out, causing Dawn to have to rely on her Shinx in order to win.

"Oh, I didn't think that I'd lose."

"It wasn't easy to win…"

As she took her prize money and walked toward the next platform, Dawn quickly brushed it off. She convinced herself that she was able to win. She just had to use a few Potions before hand that was all. Atop the platform, Gardenia was standing in her spot, ready for the battle. Cheryl stood behind the white line; apparently, the twenty-year-old had decided to use her as a make-shift referee.

"Can you beat me before dinner time I wonder?"

Dawn smiled. "I'll try for all of our sakes."

"Hm! Go Cherrim!" Gardenia cried, sending out pink creature that resembled a flower. "What'll it be, Dawn?"

The navy-haired girl decided to go with Shinx first. "Okay, I'm ready!"

"Cherrim, use Magical Leaf!"

At her command the flower creature released a barrage of glowing leaves toward the Pokémon before it. Dawn swallowed. It seemed rather difficult to dodge, as it was coming by so quickly; however, by some stroke of luck, Shinx managed to avoid the brunt of it, even if it still received damage.

"Use Leer, then Tackle!"

The feline did as it was told, sending a firm glare at the Cherrim before charging toward it. Gardenia smirked, issuing out a command for Grass Knot. All of a sudden, a vine shot up from the ground, snaring Shinx's feet and bringing it to the ground. The vine was gone as Shinx struggled to stand but in its place were numerous green shoots.

"That's Leech Seed…" muttered Dawn. "Not good."

The greenery quickly made its way along Shinx's body, despite the effort by the Pokémon to break free. Shinx cringed as the shoots sapped its health, sending it to the enemy Cherrim.

"Use Charge, Shinx!" Dawn cried.

Gardenia did nothing. She chose to watch. Following Dawn's command, Shinx focused it energy; doing so made it slightly more difficult for the plants to draw away its health. It anticipated what came next—and it was correct.

"Spark!"

With a burst of electric sparks, Shinx managed to fry the shoots off of its body. The two Pokémon were now faced against each other once again. Shinx was breathing heavily and Dawn looked serious. Gardenia on the other hand, still appeared calm with a smile on her face; her demeanor was reflected in her Pokémon as well.

"Magical Leaf."

Once again, Shinx made an attempt to dodge but it wasn't quite as lucky. The Cherrim's attack hit with full force, sending the feline to the floor. Dawn looked at it desperately as it tried to get to its feet but her Shinx ended up falling back down.

"Shinx is unable to battle. Cherrim wins," said Cheryl, waving a flag.

Dawn exhaled, "Return!"

"Good job, Cherrim," said Gardenia, crossing her arms. "I hope you're not saving any of your Pokémon for later—'cause now's the time to bring 'em out!"

Cheryl looked at Dawn. She knew that the fourteen-year-old only had two Pokémon—both of which are ineffective against Grass types. It didn't look promising.

Dawn breathed in. She would try. "Nope, this is the last one—Piplup, I choose you!"

With a flash of light, the blue penguin was present. It looked just as determined as its master did. Gardenia's smile widened. She had watched Dawn battle with the other Trainers; it seemed almost impossible for her to make it here at all! First, she had not yet earned the Coal Badge. Second, she had only two Pokémon. Third, they were at a type disadvantage. _And yet, here we are!_

"You may be interesting, but that won't let you win!" The Gym Leader exclaimed.

"I still want to go as far as I can!" Dawn answered firmly.

Gardenia smiled, returning her Cherrim back into its ball. "Then I'll give you a surprise."

Taking out another Poké Ball, the Gym Leader called out her third Pokémon. Standing before Piplup was the final evolution of a Budew, Roserade. Cheryl looked at Gardenia incredulously. Roserade was supposedly her best Pokémon; she was going to use it on Dawn and Piplup?

"Match, begin…"

"Piplup, Bubble!"

"Roserade, Magical Leaf!"

As the barrage of leaves met with the bubbles, both attacks created a miniature explosion; though, Magical Leaf followed through easily, blowing past the bubbles and striking hard. When the debris began to clear however, Piplup was not there, it had already made its way near the plant creature.

Gardenia was mildly impressed. _A cover up…_ "Fast, but that's not gonna be enough!"

As Piplup went for a Peck, Roserade gave it a face full of yellow-orange spores, making its body go numb. _Paralysis!_ Dawn thought with a feeling of dread. Gardenia took the opportunity to call out Magical Leaf again. Like with her Shinx, the leaves hit their target the second time around. Piplup fell to the floor, knocked out.

"…Match over. The winner is the Gym Leader," said Cheryl slowly.

Satisfied, Gardenia called Roserade back into its ball. Dawn did the same with Piplup. Her expression was of one filled with disappointment. Both Gardenia and Cheryl made their way toward the younger girl.

"Um, cheer up, Dawn. You did well," Cheryl began. "You can try again."

"That's right! Losing helps you understand your weaknesses better," added Gardenia.

The fourteen-year-old breathed in and nodded. She looked the Gym Leader in the eye, her expression firm. "I'll definitely be back, and I _will_ win the next time around—type won't matter!"

Gardenia was genuinely surprised at Dawn's comment and was only more so when the girl gave her slight bow before running from the platform. Both she and Cheryl watched as the younger girl went through the sliding doors in a hurry. She glanced sideways toward the emerald-haired woman.

"Keep an eye on her, will you?" She began with a smile. "I want to see her live up to those words."

***

"Your Pokémon are all healed. We hope to see you again!"

"Thank you…"

Dawn sighed wearily. If she couldn't beat Gardenia, what chance would she have against Team Galactic? It was supposed to be a test and she failed! She shook her head. That wouldn't stop her! She wanted to aim for the top so losing was a given; however, it also meant that she would have to fight against the odds in order to succeed. She had one thing that losing wouldn't change—as strange as it was: confidence. Dawn had always believed in her capabilities and acknowledged her weaknesses. She never let herself get caught up in either one alone. Losing was part of her quest to improve. Perseverance was her companion.

"Right! I'll still do it, no matter what!" She decided, taking up her bag and leaving.

It was nighttime. After her battle, Dawn healed her Pokémon at the Center and restocked on supplies. She still intended to keep her promise and get the bicycle shop owner back safely. She considered going to the police but she remembered what Cheryl had said about them being cozy with Team Galactic. Dawn also thought about asking Gardenia for help, but remembered how busy the twenty-year-old said she was. Besides, it was a little odd to ask her now, considering recent events. _Oh…I forgot to give her money after I lost… I ended up spending it on supplies!_ Dawn thought sullenly. She was definitely not going to ask Gardenia for any favors any time soon.

At the moment, she was sitting at a café that she had visited earlier with that one blonde woman, eating a sandwich. The sudden thought of the woman reminded her that she also needed to return the Pokémon egg. It was still bound and settled in her bag. Dawn unzipped it and touched the egg; even if it was wrapped with her scarf, she could feel its warmth. _Well, this can come after I save Mr. Rickshaw._ She decided, cleaning up her stuff.

She would wait. The café was situated a little ways from the Eterna Galactic Building. It needed to be a bit later before she could operate. A boring hour passed by. _Geez…stake outs are so b—_ Her thoughts were interrupted by a helicopter from atop the building taking off to the sky. A few people looked up at it as it flew but Dawn wasn't interested. Something—someone else caught her attention. Amongst the crowd was a woman that stood out to her. She appeared to be watching the helicopter intently. Dawn got to her feet. _It's her! Wait…what's she…? Oh no!_ The navy-haired girl ran toward the woman as she pulled out a Poké Ball; it seemed as if she was about to leave and go after the chopper.

Dawn pushed her way through the crowd, earning herself scowls and glares but she ignored them. _I won't make it—_ Doing the only thing she could think of, Dawn grabbed her bag and tossed it high into the air toward the blonde. Not only did it get people to move out of the way, but also the woman's attention as well. _Oh no, it's going to—_

"What's this…?"

Cynthia managed to catch the object lightly before it hit the floor. Her eyes searched for the owner of the bag and they locked on to the girl from this morning. She ran up to Cynthia breathlessly, giving out her thanks.

"T-that's mine."

The older woman sighed, handing the bag over. "Dawn, right?"

"…Yes…" She replied slowly. The woman didn't seem to be in the best of moods at the moment. "I'm just—"

Cynthia interrupted. "I'm sorry; I'm really busy right now."

She turned to leave; mingling with crowd was surprisingly easy for her. However, as she hurried away, a sudden thought came to her mind. _That meeting…it's just like—ah. I'm an idiot.__Way to go…_ She sighed, moving through the passers-by. Cynthia spun around, searching for the younger girl again. Ironically, she was unable to locate her. Finding a person a head or two shorter than the people in this crowd was fairly difficult.

Not too far away, Dawn was feeling rather frustrated. _She didn't even hear me out! …Fine, I'll keep this then!_ She decided. _Time to do what I came to do._ She was next to the Team Galactic building so she decided to follow through with her plan. Dawn took note of the guards at the front and did her best to stay clear of them. She climbed over the fence; it was low so it wasn't very difficult. Making her way to some thick shrubs and bushes, Dawn sat quietly, examining the two goons stationed at the front. The grounds were fairly large. Smiling, she navigated herself toward the back of the building, using the vegetation as her guise. However, her journey was cut short when she realized that there were guards back there as well. _Retreat!_

Dawn got away from the back entrance and situated herself next to a large tree behind some of the bushes. Getting a better look at the layout made things seem a lot more difficult. There were a few goons patrolling through the grounds, not just stationed idly. _I'm not a _real_ secret agent! How am I going to get through?_ She thought, biting her lower lip. Before she could come to a conclusion, she felt someone grab her from behind and cover her mouth. A flood of fear went through her, reminding her of the incident in Jubilife.

"_Shh, don't move._"

The fourteen-year-old lessened her struggling. Her captor seemed to be too soft and delicate to be a threat. When the abductor held her against her chest to keep her still, Dawn realized who it was.

Once she had stopped moving, Cynthia slowly relinquished her hold on the younger girl. She sighed as the patrol guard continued on his way. Dawn turned to face her directly, apparently very surprised at the sudden turn of events.

"_What are you doing here?_" They both whispered at the same time. There was a pause.

Cynthia shut her eyes briefly. "_You first._"

"…_It's private._"

"_Ha…odd. That's _my_ reason._"

Both stared at each other for a moment, at a loss of how to deal with the current situation. Dawn decided to break the silence this time around.

"_I need to tell you something later._ _Can you not run away?_"

Cynthia kept quiet for a bit before answering, "…_I think I already have an idea._"

The navy-haired-girl swallowed. "_But it has to wait. I have to do this._"

"_No. Come with me right now,_" Cynthia insisted, holding the younger girl by the forearm. "_We need to leave._"

Dawn resisted. "_Wait, this is important! Let go—_"

Before Cynthia could answer, a light was being shown into her eyes. She held up her hand to shield it out and saw that that the owner of the flashlight was male goon. He was smirking at them maliciously. Dawn froze at the light behind her back. The blonde woman's expression told her that it wasn't anything good.

"Well, well! What are you ladies doing here so late at—" He began.

A Poké Ball was tossed up before his face. "Piplup, use pound!"

Before he could finish his sentence, the ball released a Pokémon. The little penguin then delivered a blow to the man's head that sent him to the floor. Dawn caught the ball and got to her feet. More guards were coming soon. She looked down at Cynthia, who was still crouched on the ground.

"Here, come on! There's no time to explain!" She said, holding out her hand.

The older woman was mildly surprised but she took it. Dawn ordered Piplup to use Bubble as the Galactic goons ran toward them. The attack managed to slow them down. It was their chance to escape. Dragging Cynthia along, she ran toward the fence. However, the fence gave a click and slid, growing far too tall to scale. Dawn looked back at the guards. They were trapped!

Cynthia smiled. "Let me take if from here."

Tossing up a Poké Ball of her own, she sent out a great white creature. Mounting it quickly, Cynthia pulled Dawn on board. The Pokémon rose slowly as the guards approached but took to the skies an instant later. The goons sent out a group of Zubats and began to shout out attacks and orders. Dawn hung on to the older woman while Piplup clung atop her head.

"Psychic," The blonde said simply.

Suddenly, the guards froze and their Pokémon paused, unsure of what to do. Smiling, Cynthia commanded Togekiss to fly away. Soon they were high in the air, out of sight. Instead of feeling relieved, Dawn was panicking. She could barely see the ground! The Champion glanced back, upon realizing that the girl was holding on to her far more tightly than she would have liked.

"Are you alright?" She inquired.

Dawn shielded her face against the blonde's back. "Can we…just go down…?"

_Afraid of heights?_ Cynthia pondered. However, they were back on the ground a few moments later, atop the slopes overlooking the city. Cynthia glanced back over her shoulder again at the younger girl. Dawn stayed put for a moment but once she realized that her feet were able to touch the ground, she got off promptly. Piplup seemed to be mirroring her actions, hanging on to her head for its life.

"Its okay, Piplup. We're back," She said with reassurance. She was still catching her breath.

Cynthia got off as well, patting Togekiss gently before returning it back into its ball. She turned back to the navy-haired girl. "Would you mind explaining…?"

"…I'm not very good with heights…" She admitted quietly, holding Piplup in her arms. Her gaze was elsewhere.

The blonde laughed. "That's not what I meant. I can already tell that much on my own."

Dawn looked back at the older woman, embarrassed. "W-well then I guess you mean the sneaking around…?"

"Mm. Why were you doing that?"

"…I promised the boy from earlier that I'd try and help him get his boss back," Dawn explained carefully. "But it seems like I was just being silly…"

Cynthia said nothing. Instead, she looked back at the Eterna Galactic Building from above. Guards were running around trying to figure out what had happened, but things seemed to be settling back down again. They must have not been very threatening. She turned back to the shorter girl and gave her a pat on the head.

"Just go back home," She said lightly. "I'll take care of it."

Cynthia turned to leave but felt a tug at her sleeve. Dawn looked into her eyes firmly. "No, I already told him that it was a promise! And if anything…I want to at least try."

The Champion studied the navy-haired girl for a moment. _Does she have any idea what she's saying…?_ Cynthia smiled faintly, pulling Dawn's hand away. Her action brought alarm to the younger girl's features; however, it disappeared once she spoke.

"Okay."

Dawn's eyes lit up. "So you'll help me?"

"Mm. I'll do whatever you want," answered the blonde lightly.

Her usual demeanor returning, Dawn thought of what to do next. Getting help from Cynthia wasn't an option that had come to mind before. However, with the woman's aid, she was sure that it wouldn't be difficult for them to help Mr. Rickshaw. The next step would be figuring out what to do…

"But that means that you'll have to listen to me," Cynthia added abruptly.

It brought Dawn back to reality. "Hey…"

"Deal?" She said, extending her hand.

The younger girl took it in a half-hearted hand shake. "…Deal…"

"Fu, fu…good. Now, come with me," Cynthia began. "And return your Piplup back into its ball, will you?"

Dawn did as she was told and followed the older woman down the slopes. She was glad that they were taking this route instead of the aerial one. They walked quietly for a moment before something came to Dawn's mind.

"Why were _you_ there?" She asked curiously.

Cynthia glanced at her with a light smile. "I wanted to see you of course."

Dawn blinked, faltering slightly but she managed to keep her composure. "That's a lie. You didn't want to see me before."

"Hm…that reminds me, I do now."

Dawn also remembered why she had called out to the blonde before. She looked back into her bag and pulled out the egg that she had wrapped up in her scarf. She held it out to Cynthia, who paused.

"Here, you forgot it earlier," The fourteen-year-old explained. "I just wanted to give it back to you."

Instead of taking it though, Cynthia simply stood and examined it. Dawn tilted her head, studying the older woman's expression. It was impossible to tell what she was thinking about. Finally, it seemed as if she came to a conclusion.

"Keep it."

"W-what?"

Cynthia readjusted her glasses. "You'd be doing me a favor actually. I don't mind."

"Uh, but…I don't know if I—" The younger girl began, looking at the egg now.

Cynthia smiled. "Think of it as a gift then. I hope you will take it as a symbol of our new found friendship."

Dawn looked at the blonde incredulously. _She sounds like she's teasing me…_ However, the older woman did seem as if she was sincere about giving the egg to Dawn. _Well…I don't think that it's too much of a problem…_

"Please?" Cynthia inquired innocently. Her tone made it difficult to refuse.

"O-okay, I'll take good care of it…" Dawn answered, looking away. She quickly tucked the egg back into her bag.

Satisfied, Cynthia beckoned the younger girl to follow. Once they were back in the city, Dawn looked back up at the taller woman with curiosity.

"You still didn't tell me why you were really there," She began. "And you didn't say where we were going next."

The blonde glanced at her briefly before continuing to walk. "You didn't ask."

"…Okay, you don't have to tell me the first one if you don't want to," She answered, following the woman. "But I _do _want to know what the plan is! We're partners, remember?"

Cynthia laughed shortly. "Alright, 'partner'. We're going to pay the Gym Leader a visit."

At the mention of Gardenia, Dawn faltered. She steered herself in front of the blonde and held out her arms to stop her from going further. "W-wait! Why?"

"Its part of the plan, silly," She replied. "Is there something wrong?"

Dawn bit her lower lip. "Well…I…"

"If you don't say it then I won't know," said the older woman lightly.

Deciding to get to the point, Dawn explained about her loss at the Gym and the money that she had forgotten to pay Gardenia. Once she was finished with her story, Cynthia looked thoroughly amused.

"Aw, quit laughing at me!" The fourteen-year-old cried, her ears growing warm. "I know it's—"

"No, no. I'm not," Cynthia replied. "I can't take care of your loss—you'd have to do that yourself, but I can deal with the money. Consider it payment for taking care of the egg."

"I can't do that! Mom said—"

The blonde patted her on the head again. "But now you're listening to what _I_ say, remember? We're partners so you'd have to keep your end of the deal!"

"…Okay…"

"Good! Now let's keep going. It's getting rather late."

Dawn continued after her once again. It was only the second time that she saw this woman but she already found it hard to go against what she said. _This is for helping Mr. Rickshaw!_ Dawn convinced herself. However, as they stood before the entrance to the Gym, Dawn wasn't quite sure.

"Why don't you wait out here? I promise I won't be long," The older woman suggested.

Dawn nodded. "Mm."

She watched as Cynthia entered the building and quietly found herself a seat at a nearby bench. Sitting there, she suddenly remembered about Cheryl. _Oh no! It _is_ getting late! I can't go back there now! …Way to go, Dawn…_ She didn't know how long she sat there in her state of self-loathing but it helped her doze off. By the time she woke up again, Cynthia was standing before her.

"Are you really that tired? It's only 2:06."

Dawn rubbed her eyes groggily. "I was totally exhausted from yesterday and I _still_ got up early today. And today wasn't exactly all fun either…"

Cynthia laughed. "Well, I guess it's time to go to bed. Where are you staying?"

"…I _was_ at the condos with a friend's relative…" She answered slowly. "But I don't want to disturb them _now_…" Before the older woman could make a suggestion, Dawn quickly added, "Oh, but I think I'll be fine so you don't need to worry!"

A bit surprised at the girl's sudden burst of energy, Cynthia said nothing at first. However, a smile spread across her face afterward. "Well, if that's so then I guess I'll head off."

"Um, what about…?"

"Don't worry about it. I took care of everything. Just go to the Cycle Shop in the morning," The blonde explained. "Relax."

Dawn smiled in relief. She truly felt grateful. "Thank you so much…! I'll…pay you back some how—count on it!"

"I don't mind," Cynthia answered lightly. "Just make sure you take good care of that egg for me."

The navy-haired girl nodded. "I will. Thanks again, Cynthia."

With a wave, Dawn was off, leaving the older woman to stand by the bench alone. Cynthia watched as she disappeared across the street. She smiled to herself. Despite the fact that she wasn't able to catch up with Cyrus and do what she had intended to do, she felt far more relaxed than she ought to. She glanced back at the Gym before turning to leave. _Sorry, Gardenia. _Pushing up her glasses, Cynthia made her way back to Eterna Condominiums.

As she passed by one of the rooms on her way to her _own_ room, she heard a familiar voice. It sounded as if Dawn was apologizing to someone. Cynthia laughed, entering her room. _I thought so._

Inside the room a couple of doors down, Dawn was bowing her head to Cheryl, doing her best to explain. The emerald-haired woman was trying to reassure the younger girl that it was alright and that it was only important that Dawn came back safely.

"Even so—" The fourteen-year-old began.

Cheryl shook her head. "Just get some rest, Dawn. You're making it more difficult!"

"Sorry…" She murmured.

Bidding the older woman a good night, as she left, Dawn fell back down on the couch. She found it rather hard to feel guilty at the moment because she was so tired; so instead, she just fell asleep without a further thought.

* * *

**A/N:** Aaaaand that's a wrap. I'll try to update soon, promise--but it could take awhile. Things are still sketchy so I have to figure it all out before I write. :/ As usual, I hope that you'll give me any pointers/corrections where it's appropriate; they'll be appreciated. BTW, I just threw the Gym match in this chapter for good measure 'cause I wasn't exactly sure how everything else would turn out. :P

_Next_: _It's time to backtrack to Floaroma. This time, Dawn's not without a traveling companion but things turn out differently than initially intended._


	7. Floaroma: A Bike, A Buddy, & A Bed

**A/N:** I forgot the last time I've updated but it feels like it's been awhile so sorry for that. I have no excuses other than laziness. Hopefully this chapter won't reflect that. Either way, you'd tell me, right?

_Sora-Hikari_ - Oh wow! You actually went through and reviewed for every chapter! I'm touched. oAo Thanks for reviewing!_  
Nhame_ - I'm glad you showed me the pic even though it was kind of a hassle. ;)_  
Chris_ - You _should_ get used to logging in! And don't worry, I'm not giving up on this story. It's for the sake of Girlpowershipping! About the chapters, I'd like to think that I'm improving so I write more; there's more things to include now that the plot's rolling. Regarding evolution & legendaries...I think it's kinda early for that. We'll see!_  
Miko_ - Thanks for the input as usual. And yes, Dawn will eventually get a fire Pokémon. I'm still working out when though..._  
Yasetsu_ - Shinx is most likely the Naughty type but he means well. Hey, people mature as they grow older (most anyway), Shinx probably will in the future._  
Dux_ - Thanks for saying that! Longer reviews are awesome. I really dislike love at first sight sh*t; I like it better if it's a bit more realistic, even if like you said, it's more tedious and drawn out. Oh, and** I'm totally open to any pairings that you readers want.** Just make a suggestion and I'll try to incooperate it in if I think it's do-able. ;)

* * *

**  
Chapter 6**

It was morning in Eterna City. Cynthia stepped out of the building and glanced at her watch, which read 8:02. She had thought over yesterday night's events and pondered over what to do next. Because Cyrus had managed to elude her, she was in a bit of a bind. Chances are that he returned to Veilstone or headed off to some unknown location in order to further his plans. There was no way for her to act without knowing his whereabouts. She wanted to keep a low profile so storming the Team Galactic headquarters was not an option. Besides, what Looker said was that they need solid evidence before they could formally make a move. _I can't do anything directly…_ She reminded herself. Cynthia was considering her options when her phone rang.

"Hello?"

It was a man's voice—Looker. _"Miss Champion! I'm sorry if I woke you up."_

"…Oh, you didn't," She replied slowly, mildly irked at his choice of addressing her. "What is it?"

"_You're at Eterna, correct? But there's something going on in Floaroma—I've told you before, I think."_ He began urgently. _"I was going to head there but HQ wants me to report back."_

Cynthia listened quietly. "I'll see what I can do. Though, I don't understand; wasn't this a secret operation?"

"_Yes, but I've been absent for awhile now you see,"_ He explained carefully. _"I have to report back or it'll look suspicious!"_

"I see…"

He quickly added, _"But rest assured! I will be back in action shortly! Er, if you could…I was hoping that you could keep things in check while I'm gone…"_

"Of course," She answered. "You don't have to worry. I'll head over to Floaroma immediately."

Looker sounded relieved. _"Uh, but don't do anything too crazy! We're undercover here!"_

"Mm, I got it."

With that said, the call ended. Cynthia examined the device for a brief moment before tucking it back into her pocket. _I suppose Floaroma is my next destination…_ She stopped at the nearby Poké Mart before making her way toward the forest entrance. Along the trip, she bought herself some breakfast. The Champion paused to look at the Eterna Galactic Building. Things seemed to be back to normal. _If Gardenia does what she says…it'll be fine._ She decided, throwing the wrapper of her finished pastry away. As she continued walking, a familiar woman approached her.

"Champ—uh, wait…"

The blonde looked at her, mildly surprised. "Gardenia, you're here rather early. But I'm glad."

"Ah, well…I _did_ promise you so I _have_ to do this," She answered awkwardly. "Besides, it's my job as the Gym Leader—you said so yourself."

Cynthia smiled. "That's good to hear. I hope you'll remember all those _other _things I've mentioned too."

"Right…I will," Gardenia replied slowly. "But you really won't explain, huh?"

Her smile remained. "I'm sorry."

"…I guess it can't be helped…" The Gym Leader sighed. "So you're going now?"

Cynthia nodded. "Mm, I have something to take care of in Floaroma. I'll leave you to your business then."

Gardenia watched as the blonde departed, heading toward Eterna Forest. She sighed. _What luck is this?_ The twenty-year-old continued on her own quest. She was heading toward the Eterna Galactic Building. She did not know why the Champion was running around in disguise interfering with Team Galactic affairs or how _she _was dragged in; Gardenia just knew that she was doing her duty as the Gym Leader—something that she had neglected for awhile. Lately she had been preoccupied with taking care of the Gym (the plants _and_ the Pokémon), that she had turned oblivious to whatever it was that Team Galactic was doing. That seemed more of police work so Gardenia chose not to dip her hand in. However, she now found herself standing before the Galactic building's entrance.

"What do you want, Miss Gym Leader?"

The said Gym Leader crossed her arms. "I gotta talk to someone inside. It's official business."

"Sorry, but—" The goon began.

She cut him off. "_It's_ _official_ _business_."

The man mentally cursed his partner for leaving him to stand by the doors alone. Giving in, he reluctantly stepped aside to let the twenty-year-old in. Gladly entering, Gardenia glanced around. _That was the easy part._ She looked at the receptionist, who was watching her with narrowed eyes. _Here goes…_

***

"I'm sorry, Dawn. I'm afraid I can't go with you."

"Oh, don't worry! I'll be fine! I'm still sorry about yesterday…"

"I already said that it was alright, remember? Now why don't you eat?"

At the moment, the fourteen-year-old was having breakfast, courtesy of Cheryl. Dawn had woken up that morning and promptly apologized to the older woman for returning late last night. To her surprise, Cheryl had apologized as well, telling Dawn that she could not accompany her back to Floaroma. The green-haired woman explained that her old aunt had fallen ill abruptly and she wanted to stay and take care of her. Dawn was sympathetic; she told Cheryl that she would be fine traveling back alone.

After finishing her meal, she bid a good-bye to the older woman and thanked her properly before leaving. Once she was outside, Dawn checked her Poké Tech. The clock read 8:36. She thought about yesterday night. She had failed to save the bicycle shop owner; instead, _she_ was the one who had to be saved. Her mind came back to Cynthia. Though grateful that the blonde was there to help her, Dawn was still curious as to _why _the older woman was there in the first place. _I'm pretty sure that it wasn't to see me._ She shifted her bag. It was heavier now due to the presence of the Pokémon egg. _But…_

"Oh, right…she _did_ say go to the bike shop," She recalled abruptly. _I have to see that boy again anyway…_

Upon arriving at the shop, the doors swung open, surprising her. The boy from yesterday ran out toward her, his face plastered with a wide grin. He grabbed her hand and swung it around excitedly. Dawn was thoroughly confused.

"Wow, you actually did it!" He exclaimed. "I thought you were lame, but thanks a lot!"

Disregarding his last comment, she took her arm back. "W-what are you talking about?"

"No need to be modest, young lady."

Both she and the boy turned. They were faced with a middle-aged man with thin locks of brown hair; he appeared tired but relieved. The boy ran back up to the man who stood in the doorway of the shop.

"Mr. Rickshaw, that's her!"

The man nodded. "Yeah, that's a surprise."

"…Er…" Dawn was still trying to make sense of it all. "Mr. Rickshaw…? Isn't he…? Why…?"

The boy laughed. "If you're playing dumb, it's really convincing!"

"Stop it!" The man said, bopping the kid on the head. "It's thanks to her that I was able to leave. _You _didn't do anything to help!"

The ten-year-old frowned. "Okay, okay…"

"Now, why don't we go inside and have a chat?"

Mr. Rickshaw kindly led Dawn inside and showed her to a seat while the boy stood by them both. The middle-aged man sat opposite to her and gave her a can of soda. Dawn looked at it reluctantly before meeting his eyes again. This was all too strange for her taste. Before he could speak, she started first.

"Um, thanks but…I'm not really sure I understand," She admitted. "I didn't do anything to get you out!"

He shook his head. "They let me out this morning on account of Gardenia."

"But why…?"

Mr. Rickshaw rubbed his chin. "You were the reason she decided to help, of course! There's no need to be modest!"

"Me?"

Dawn couldn't imagine why Gardenia would do anything with Team Galactic on her behalf. Besides, she had not spoken with the Gym Leader since the end of their match the other day. Cynthia who was the one who— _…I get it now._ Dawn put two and two together and finally understood why Mr. Rickshaw thought that it was her who 'saved' him. She would have to pay Gardenia a real visit later to get the whole story.

"That's right," He answered. "Those goons captured me and asked me to go along with their nonsense. When I wouldn't cooperate with them, they decided to keep me there!"

"Er, is everything fine now or…?"

Mr. Rickshaw nodded. "They won't be bothering me again anytime soon, thanks to Gardenia. But I would still like to thank you properly!"

"Oh no, you said it yourself!" The fourteen-year-old began automatically. "It was Gardenia who helped you!"

He shook his head. "She's been as helpful as the police I'm afraid. I'm just glad that she's finally come to her senses—and it's thanks to _you_! That's why I want to give you something nice."

Before Dawn could throw in another word, he had gotten up and headed toward one of the bike racks. He wheeled one out and stood it in front of him proudly. The boy stared at it enviously while Dawn watched speechlessly. It was a shiny new bike for crying out loud; one that would cost her no money at that. It was only a natural reaction.

"No way…" She murmured.

Mr. Rickshaw laughed. "My apprentice here says that you're a new Trainer. I remember _my_ old starter days and I thought how easy it'd be if you had one of these to travel around with."

"But, I can't—not with this!" She protested, coming back to her senses. "I honestly didn't do _anything_ to deserve it! I'll prove it!"

"Thought you'd say something like that."

Everyone's heads turned. At the door stood the Gym Leader herself. Gardenia walked over to Dawn and clasped her on the shoulder. The younger girl looked at her uncertainly. Gardenia disregarded it, her expression partially serious and half-reluctant.

"Just take it, kid! It's his good will here," She began. "After all the trouble _all_ of us have been through, can't you be grateful?"

Dawn lowered her gaze. However, she then looked up and slid Gardenia's hand off of her shoulder, meeting her eyes. "Even so, _I_ didn't do _anything_. _Cynthia_ was the one who convinced you, not _me_. I won't take the credit for that—not after what she _already_ did for me!"

Gardenia frowned but she seemed more tired than angry or annoyed. _This girl is difficult!_ She scratched her head, glancing over at Mr. Rickshaw. He met her gaze for a second before turning back to Dawn. His expression was that of a frown as well.

"If that's so then…" He began.

The navy-haired girl shook her head. "I'm sorry for deceiving you, but you should be thanking someone else."

"Argh…" Gardenia sighed, grabbing the younger girl by the arm. "Sorry, 'bout this," She added to the middle-aged man.

With that said, she pulled Dawn out of the shop, leaving Mr. Rickshaw to turn toward his apprentice with confusion. Outside, Gardenia released her grip on the fourteen-year-old girl's arm. She rubbed her temples, trying to figure out the best way to explain everything.

"I'm right, right?" Dawn began first. "Cynthia told you. I don't know _how_, but she did."

The Gym Leader examined her for a moment before answering. "Okay, you got me. _But_ I know what I'm doing so can't you give me a break?"

"No! I've already gotten enough help here, I'm not about to get more—for no reason too!" The younger girl retorted. "I want to rely on myself for once! That's why I became a Trainer!"

Gardenia said nothing. She looked elsewhere instead. Then, she pulled out a small pouch; the contents inside sounded like money. She tossed it to Dawn, who caught it with both hands. The fourteen-year-old examined the bag then looked back up at the older woman.

"I think that you should take this then," She began with a sigh. "Give it back to her. If you beat me next time, I just won't pay you—sound fair?"

Dawn's face lit up. "…He, he, alright."

"Geez, but do you _have_ to be so stubborn?"

"Sorry," She replied sheepishly. "Um…but I still want to know what happened."

Gardenia crossed her arms and closed her eyes for a moment. "Nope, no can do. That's all I can say."

"Why?"

"Do you _want_ me to ask for the money _now_?" The Gym Leader countered. It was successful in keeping the younger girl quiet. "Just go with it! Or…find her and ask her yourself—just don't get me dragged in."

Dawn thought about it and nodded slowly. "Okay…"

"Alright, then I'll see you some other time," Gardenia concluded, glad that Dawn decided to comply. "Take care of yourself!"

Bidding a good-bye, the Gym Leader began to walk off, leaving Dawn before the shop. Gardenia paused for a moment before deciding to call back toward the fourteen-year-old.

"Try Floaroma!"

Dawn smiled, watching as Gardenia resumed her walk back to the Gym. _Thanks…_ She supposed that she ought to appreciate the turn of events. It was rather ironic actually or at least she was lucky. Either way, Dawn decided to continue; she'd have to go through Eterna Forest first. Chances are Cynthia was still there. _I have to hurry!_ Glad that she had already restocked on supplies the previous day; she headed straight for the city gate. However, as she walked, Dawn heard someone call out to her—well, not exactly, but she turned all the same, due to the familiarity of the voice.

"Hey, stupid!"

Apparently, it was the boy from the cycle shop and he was coming up to her on a bike. She moved out of the way as the boy was rather shaky when he tried to stop. It was because the bike was bit too tall for him so it was difficult. He got off and propped up the kick stand.

"…What do you want?" She inquired, not to keen on the insult.

He readjusted his cap. "Hmph! You're still an idiot, even if you _are_ older than me!"

"If you came here just to—" She began heatedly.

He looked at her firmly, cutting her off. "No, you dolt! I'm here to lend this to you!"

The boy pointed towards the bike, his expression was firm. Dawn looked between him and the bicycle for a moment. She laughed but he was not amused.

"You can't be serious. I already told you that—"

"You're not listening! I'm not _giving_ it to you—I'm not stupid! I'm _lending _it to you, since you're coming back."

Dawn blinked. "You don't _have_ a bike to lend me."

"_Now_ I do! It's an early birthday present from Mr. Rickshaw for looking after the shop while he was gone," He explained. His gaze shifted to the ground. "And even if you _were_ useless…you _did_ keep me company…and you tried to do _something_…_I_ couldn't. This…this is for that."

At his words, she looked at him with sympathy. The boy quickly snapped out of it once he noticed. He stuck out his tongue in disgust.

"Ugh, cut it out will ya!? You're creepin' me out!" He shouted. "I'm only repaying you for what you _did_ do!"

It was too late. Dawn pulled him into a three-second hug before he could escape. He stood a yard away from her after that. Dawn was all smiles.

"Thank you…"

The boy crossed his arms haughtily. "Hmph! You still have to give this back! A-and if you even scratch the paint, you'll have to get me a new one!"

"Okay, it's a deal," She answered with a smile. "You'll definitely get it back."

Before he walked away, the boy shoved a small book into her hands; he explained that it was the manual for the bike. It had instructions on how to shift gears as well as information on what to do if the bike needed repair. Dawn was about to hug him again but the boy ran off. Smiling, she tucked the book away and examined the bicycle quietly. _I can use this to catch up with Cynthia. Then I can patch things up._ She decided; that reason would justify her decision for now. Though she knew that if she wanted to catch up to the older woman she would have to hurry.

Mounting the bike, Dawn felt rather excited; it showed on her face, causing a few glances to come her way. She didn't mind; at the moment there was probably nothing that could have made her happier. However, by the time she reentered Eterna Forest, she was reminded that she would have to search for someone in there; someone who had most likely left hours before she did. It would be a task—that was certain.

_Maybe I should've asked her for her phone number…or something._ The fourteen-year-old thought wistfully. She snapped out of it. _No, it'll be okay. I have a bike now._ Resuming her journey, Dawn recalled the route that Gardenia had shown them the previous night. Coupled with her bicycle, she was by the Old Chateau within twenty minutes. She privately thanked the Gym Leader for showing up the other day.

Remembering what both Gardenia and Cheryl had said about the Old Chateau, Dawn stopped by the corner of the fence and looked at the building. It seemed the same as always—except for the fact that the door was slightly open. Dawn was curious. _That's odd…I thought that this place was abandoned…_ Deciding to take a closer look, she walked her bike to the front gate, only to find that the shrubs that were previously blocking it were torn down. The gate was now accessible. Whoever had cut the plants down had obviously decided to pay the Old Chateau a visit as well.

Dawn found herself doing the same, treading cautiously as she pushed open the rusted gate, causing it to creak noisily. It remained open as she walked through the front yard, which was heavily littered with weeds and fallen leaves. She leaned her bike by the front of the building. Up close the mansion seemed a bit daunting, with its darkened windows and ramshackle appearance. However, she pushed on, entering through the double doors slowly. As expected, the interior of the house was no better than the outside. The air was musty, as dust and cobwebs gathered throughout the house. _It's abandoned alright._ The fourteen-year-old thought, coughing. Though despite being deserted, she couldn't shake off the feeling that the house was alive somehow. It was a distant feeling but she sensed it nonetheless. At the moment everything was still; as if the house was holding its breath.

She stood in front of the door way and looked around the room. It must have been quite grand when the building was still in use; there was an impressive flight of stairs leading toward the second floor. A lot of the things were gone now, leaving behind only rusty candlesticks and broken junk that no body wanted. However, something interesting caught her eye. It was a statue of a Pokémon, a Rhydon if she was correct. She wondered why it wasn't taken. _Maybe it's because it's too big…_ Dawn touched it; the statue felt cold and dusty. Though that wasn't the thing that she found interesting; it was the statue's eyes that caught her attention. It seemed as if it was staring—glaring at her!

"What are you doing here?"

The sudden voice made her jump. Dawn tore her gaze from the statue and looked up; from above the stairs stood none other than Cynthia. At the moment, the older woman seemed a tad solemn in expression but her tone was that of mild surprise. Dawn was rather surprised as well; though it was a bit ironic, she was glad that she ran into the blonde again.

"Um…I was just looking," She answered, stepping away from the statue. "I didn't do anything so…oh! I'm trespassing, right? I'll—"

Cynthia walked down the stairs. "I'm not accusing you of anything. Besides, it seems as if we both are."

"Huh? You mean…"

The older woman shook her head. "I'm afraid I don't have the luxury of owning mansions."

Dawn was relieved. For a minute there she thought that she was in trouble. Now that she wasn't, she was curious as to why Cynthia was here. The blonde seemed to notice because she decided to answer Dawn's unasked question on her own.

"I was passing by and I thought that I should take a look," She explained. "I didn't pass through Eterna Forest the first time around."

A light bulb went off in Dawn's head. "I get it! You've probably heard about this place in Eterna!" She was talking more to herself, as if trying to reason with it. "A history fanatic like you couldn't help but wander in."

Cynthia blinked. A smile came to her face a few seconds after. "Nice work, detective. But I think it's time for _both_ of us to leave."

"Eh? I just got here…" Dawn murmured.

"We're trespassing," Cynthia reminded her. "…_I'm_ leaving." She walked by the door but paused to look back at Dawn, who didn't move. "You're not afraid of ghosts?"

"But it's daytime," The younger girl reasoned. "And even if it _was_ night, I don't know…" She looked back at the statue. "I've never seen one, how can I be afraid of it if I've never even seen it?"

"…I guess you're right. But…" Cynthia began, walking back over to Dawn and patting her on the shoulder. "We're not supposed to be here either way," She smiled. "So come with me, please?"

Dawn looked back at the older woman and gave a small sigh. It didn't take long for her to give in. She reminded herself why she was looking for Cynthia in the first place. The two of them exited the building. Dawn grabbed her bicycle while Cynthia closed the door behind them. The blonde examined Dawn and her new bicycle with a smile.

"That's why you caught up so fast, right?"

The younger girl nodded. "Mm-hm…but it's also 'cause you spent so long—"

"What's wrong?" Cynthia inquired, as Dawn stopped talking in mid-sentence.

She looked back at Cynthia abruptly. "I wanted to ask you what you said to Gardenia."

"…Hm, that's not important," The older woman replied slowly, looking away. "I already fixed everything, didn't I?"

Dawn lowered her gaze for a moment before looking back up. "But—I still want to know! It's _my_ business too!"

"…I just asked her to give me a hand that's all," Cynthia answered after a short pause. "Simple persuasion, honestly. I didn't make her do something that she didn't want to do."

She examined Dawn's expression after her reply. The younger girl seemed to be fairly convinced so she was relieved. Technically, what happened back at the Gym wasn't anything gruesome. She really did just have a talk with Gardenia about the events regarding Team Galactic and simply asked the Gym Leader to help her out. Well, that was after the one round match with the twenty-year-old using her Roserade; it was to settle the issue of the prize money. Everything else was an unsaid matter.

"Still, I want to give this back to you," Dawn began, interrupting her thoughts.

Cynthia was slightly alarmed. "The egg…?"

"Huh? Oh, no!" Dawn replied quickly. "…I really want to hold on to that. This is something else!"

Cynthia laughed, feeling relieved. "Alright, what is it?"

"Here, it's the money," The younger girl answered, handing her the pouch from earlier. Cynthia looked at the object in her hands quietly as Dawn went on. "I've already made a deal with Gardenia so it'll be okay."

Cynthia smiled, pocketing the pouch. "If you insist…"

"But still…thanks."

The older woman said nothing. Instead, she looked at the sky. Dawn followed her gaze. Clouds rolled lazily across the stretch of blue. The forest was still. Cynthia decided to break the silence. "Where are you going?"

"Um…Floaroma Town," Dawn replied, looking back at her.

Cynthia blinked. "Really? That's where _I'm_ going."

"Er…I'm not stalking you or anything, if that's what you're—" Dawn answered.

The blonde laughed. "No, I'm saying that I could give you a lift."

"A lift?" She repeated. "Like, in the air…?" Cynthia nodded, in which Dawn quickly declined. "Oh, no…I'll be fine so…"

Cynthia exhaled. "Well, then that's a shame. I guess I'll go with you through Eterna Forest."

"Eh? You'll still…"

"Sure, we're going the same way," She replied simply. "I'll just follow you by air, since I don't have a bicycle. Ah…maybe you should follow _me_. It'll be faster."

Dawn nodded. As she got on her bike, Cynthia mounted the white Pokémon from before. She took the opportunity to use her Poké Dex. While Dawn read the contents that popped up on the screen, Cynthia looked at her curiously.

"Where did you get that?" She inquired.

"Oh, I got it from Prof. Rowan," Dawn answered. "So that's a Togekiss…"

Cynthia was mildly surprised. _Professor Rowan, hm? Well I suppose that explains a lot._ Her Togekiss took to the sky, but remained in Dawn's sight. She looked back down toward the younger girl. "Let's go! We can talk later."

With a short nod of agreement, Dawn began to follow after the Pokémon's shadow as it flew. Sure enough, Cynthia _did_ know which routes to take. There were a few minor difficulties here and there, where Dawn lost sight of her but they were out of Eterna Forest in no time. It was a little bit past noon when they were outside of the forest gate. Cynthia was waiting for her on the other side. She was looking down one of the paths; the one that was a shortcut to Jubilife City. She remembered that it was the underground route that could transfer people between the forest and the city quickly, but she also recalled that it was a bit unsafe to travel on.

Dawn pedaled up to the older woman and pulled her bike to a stop. "What's wrong?"

"How about a break?" Cynthia suggested, pointing to a small house not too far away.

The younger girl agreed and the both of them approached the building. It was a rest stop run by an old woman. She offered to heal Trainers' Pokémon, as well as snacks for both humans and Pokémon alike for a small price. The old woman greeted Dawn and Cynthia warmly; they were the only ones there at the moment. While neither of them needed their Pokémon to be healed, Dawn and Cynthia bought themselves a drink and a snack. They were currently sitting at one of the tables that the woman had outside under a large umbrella.

Dawn had decided to let Piplup and Shinx out so that they could relax; she was examining the map that Pearl had given her not too long ago. _So we're at Route 205…_ Tucking the map away, she returned to her drink. Cynthia was sitting upright in her seat with her drink untouched, looking rather stiff and unapproachable. Dawn examined her expression carefully. At the moment, the older woman's features appeared rather blank but calm nonetheless. She seemed to be watching Shinx chase Piplup around in small circles. Her gaze abruptly shifted toward Dawn, catching the younger girl off guard.

"Yes?" Cynthia inquired lightly.

"Huh? Oh, nothing…" Dawn murmured. She thought about it briefly, changing her mind. "Well, actually, I was just wondering where you were going."

Cynthia finally took a sip from her drink. "I already told you that I was heading to Floaroma."

"Mm, but what are going to do?" Dawn continued, fiddling with the straw in her bottle of juice. "You're not really going to Floaroma just to visit, right?"

Cynthia exhaled slowly. "Hm…I'm not quite sure…" She looked toward the distance, holding her own bottle in her hands absent-mindedly. "I've been stuck in one place for awhile. I don't think I really know where I want to go next."

"I think that's because you want to go everywhere," Dawn answered, letting go of her straw.

"Everywhere?" Cynthia repeated, raising her eyebrow slightly.

Dawn placed a hand under her chin. "Isn't it true? I've been cooped up for awhile too… But now's my chance! I want to see all the places I can—even if I don't know what or where they are." She smiled, turning to the blonde. "Isn't that like wanting to go everywhere?"

Cynthia returned the smile, her gaze shifting back to the two Pokémon. After a moment of silence, Cynthia got to her feet and faced the younger girl ."…Then let's go. I'll go with you."

***

"You _do_ realize what it is that you're doing, don't you!?"

"Yes, sir. B-but I have a good reason!" The detective looked desperate.

"Looker…you can't screw this one up."

Detective Handsome nodded. At the moment he was in the office of his sector's chief. After returning to headquarters, the Chief informed him of the meeting between all the other sector leaders with the Head of the Department. The main focus of the meeting was to discuss Pokémon poaching and the dealing of counterfeit goods, such as Poké Balls and Potions.

Team Galactic was mentioned once but the subject was quickly put to rest as half of the other sector leaders and the Head of the Department dismissed it as insignificant, claiming it was a matter of the past. Poaching and counterfeiting appeared to be far more important items on their to-do list. Many argued that Team Galactic had been inactive for awhile since its prosecution and that that wasn't going to change anytime soon. Everything that the company did was technically legal and permitted. The authorities had no right to intervene.

In exchange, Handsome had briefed the Chief in on his own operation. Truth be told, his department had not granted him rights to do anything regarding Team Galactic. This was a private matter between himself and the Chief of his sector. He had already planned to operate in secrecy prior to meeting with the Champion. Having her aid simply made things easier for him that was all; especially when Cynthia had said that she would vouch for him. He shared this news with his Chief and was scolded in the process. The Chief had been primarily against Handsome's actions from the start but slowly grew more open to the man's theories as he listened. He promised to keep the matter a secret but he offered no aid—side for the occasional piece of advice or input. Currently, it seemed as if he would only give his input—negative input at that.

Part of him was furious while the other was afraid. "To get the Pokémon League involved…the _Champion_—are you crazy!?"

"S-she gave me her consent—" The detective reasoned. "We can investigate this and—"

The Chief shook his head. "I've listened to your ideas for long enough, Looker. But when you go out on your own and do this…this _rouge_ operation…" He looked the detective in the eyes. "I don't want to report you, but I _will_ if you keep this up. You'll lose your job!"

There was a stretch of silence between the two men. One could easily feel the tension in the room. The Chief looked at his co-worker with a mixture of pity and disappointment. He knew that the man meant well but rules were rules.

Handsome's jaw tightened and his eyes shut briefly. "Then I'm afraid that I'll have to quit, sir. I'm sorry."

With a deep breath, he turned and swept up his trench coat before walking out the door, leaving the older man behind in shock. He heard the Chief call after him but he chose to ignore it. He stopped by his cubicle and grabbed a few important things before heading to the elevators. He would get the rest later; right now he had to talk to the Champion.

Outside, Handsome took a seat on one of the benches off to the side where he would be undisturbed. He was in the middle of dialing her number when he paused. If he told her that he was fired then would she still help him? There was also the fact that he hadn't given her the full story—that he was just acting on account of his own suspicions to consider. He slowly began to put his phone away but paused once again. It wasn't right to keep her in the dark, especially because she was second person who listened to him. She had the right to know, or he'd just be taking advantage of her status to help him with his goal.

Handsome shoved the phone into his pocket.

***

_5:01…_ Dawn read, examining her Poké Tech. It had been a few hours since exiting Eterna Forest. She and Cynthia had been walking for awhile along Route 205. Dawn managed to see many Pokémon along the way but managed to catch none of them. When Cynthia had asked her why she said that she wanted to focus on training Piplup and Shinx first; after which the blonde simply smiled. What Dawn _did_ do was battle Trainers; she battled against any and all of the Trainers that she could find. Despite having only two Pokémon, she showed that she could hold her own quite well—to Cynthia's surprise.

Now that her supply of Potions to keep Piplup and Shinx going was diminishing, Dawn was looking forward to arriving at the town. According to Cynthia they were almost there; Floaroma was just past Valley Windworks. As the name suggested, it was a facility that helped generate some of the power for West Sinnoh by utilizing wind energy. However, as they approached the bridge, two Galactic Goons were present. They seemed bored so they quickly spotted Cynthia and Dawn.

"Hope you're not planning to cross—the bridge is closed!" The first man jeered.

The second one grinned. "But for a small passing fee you can go right ahead!"

"Isn't this a public bridge?" said Dawn, looking at Cynthia, who chose to say nothing.

A sudden cry from across the bridge caught everyone's attention. The two goons groaned. They ran to the other side immediately, leaving Dawn and Cynthia to follow. The men were now standing before a little girl who seemed to be intent on getting to the Valley Windworks. She was shouting at them while the two goons did their best to ignore her.

One of them couldn't stand it anymore and gave the girl a shove on the head, sending her to the ground on her rear. "Pipe down, brat! You've been trying to do this for hours!"

"You better scram before we get _really_ nasty!" The second goon warned, taking out a Poké Ball.

Dawn decided to intervene, stepping behind the little girl and pulling her up. Her action caused the first man to sneer. "What, 'pick on somebody your own size', right? We've heard _that_ one before!"

"You wanna be a hero? You're just a bigger shrimp than she is!" The other man added.

Dawn frowned. She usually considered herself a fairly calm person but that was it! "Why don't you battle me and find out!?"

The two men laughed. "Ha, ha, ha! Yeah right! You're not even worth the trouble!"

"You…!" Dawn pulled out a Poké Ball but she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up to see Cynthia, who shook her head. "But they—"

"Your Pokémon aren't ready for another battle right now," The blonde reminded her. "Let's just go for now."

Dawn looked elsewhere, feeling rather frustrated. However, she knew that Cynthia was right so she would just have to let it pass at the moment. The little girl sniffled. Dawn decided to focus on her instead, leading her away from the two men. "Don't cry! You're only giving them the satisfaction they want!"

"Tch, better listen to your math tutor and run, shrimp!" The first goon called out.

Cynthia shot the man a look that was not quite menacing but silenced him all the same. "Don't worry, we'll definitely return."

"…What was that all about?" The second man inquired once the other three were gone.

The first man frowned. "I dunno…but something about that blonde chick seems like bad news…"

As they approached Floaroma Town, the little girl explained her situation to Dawn. Apparently, Team Galactic had taken over Valley Windworks, holding one employee—the girl's father as a hostage, because they needed him to operate the machines. The event had taken place about three or four days ago. Rumor has it that even one of the Team Galactic Commanders was present. Either way, no body had dared to voice their opinion. Of course, no body knew _why_ or _what_ Team Galactic needed Valley Windworks for so they figured that it wasn't anything special. Hey, they still had their power so what did it matter who was running the machines that produced it?

Cynthia felt the sudden familiarity of the situation. Indeed, the navy-haired girl was getting the same look in her eyes as she listened to the little girl's story. Dawn knelt down and quickly reassured her that her father was going to be okay. It appeared to work as the girl ceased her crying and looked a lot more comfortable. Cynthia said nothing but when Dawn flashed her a hopeful look, she found herself feeling the same.

Once they were in Floaroma Town, there was a sudden feeling of lightness and tranquility. Maybe it had something to do with the fact that the whole town was situated in the middle of a vast field of flowers, but the place was filled with an assortment of scents. Dawn looked around in awe; she had never seen so many flowers in her life! There were more here than there were at Eterna Gym.

"Wow…!" She breathed, taking in the sight. "It's wonderful!"

The little girl laughed. "C'mon, I'll let you guys stay with me!"

"Eh? Are you sure?" Dawn asked in surprise.

The girl nodded. "Daddy's been gone so I've been all alone…"

An uneasy stretch of silence came between them. Dawn wasn't quite sure what to say. Surely, they couldn't just stay at some girl's house just because they agreed to help her, right? Nevertheless, the girl's expression made her think otherwise.

"…In that case, I hope you don't mind," said Cynthia abruptly.

Both Dawn and the girl smiled. The girl grabbed the older woman by the hand and dragged her forward. "Okay, follow me!"

The girl led Dawn and Cynthia to her house, which was across from the Poké Mart; it was a modest accommodation. There were three bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, and a living room. The girl showed Dawn and Cynthia the guest room, after explaining that the previous rooms belonged to her father and herself respectively. Dawn and Cynthia had just placed their bags down when the girl suddenly made a declaration.

"I'll go make you some food!" She said excitedly, rushing out of the room.

Dawn scratched her head. "Gosh, she hasn't even introduced herself!"

"Neither have we," Cynthia reminded her.

The fourteen-year-old placed a hand underneath her chin. "Do you think its okay?"

"Mm. It should be fine," The older woman answered, taking a seat. "We'll do it properly at dinner time."

Dawn blinked. "Ah, not that! I mean, we can really help her out…right?"

"You decided already," Cynthia replied lightly. "So you'd do it either way."

Dawn laughed. "Good point."

"Though I _do_ think that there's something just as important that we have to consider," Cynthia began seriously. Her expression was solemn.

The navy-haired girl bit her lower lip. "Wh-what is it…?"

"There's only one bed…"

* * *

**  
A/N:** Ah, ha, ha, ha...yeah.

_Next: I'll flip you a coin for it. *flip* The coin's on its side... o__O;_

No, I'm kidding.

_Next: Dawn and Cynthia head over to Valley Windworks for their second attempt at a rescue operation. What? Who's Mars? This isn't Sailor Moon!_


	8. Floaroma: Rescue Operation

**A/N:** It seems like I updated a lot slower than last time. Sorry about that but there were a lot of distractions. I can't really think of anything else to say so I'll just jump into the reviews now. Oh, and it'd be nice if you guys read this part too. Some of you mention similiar things. Plus, it could also be important. ;)

_Yasetsu_ - Chris asked the same thing! D: Evolution probably won't come 'til later. And goodness, you can't be into this without knowing what shipping is! Go to Bulbapedia and type 'Shipping' into the search box. I use that site as my source and reference. Now you all know._  
Sora-Hikari_ - Well, thanks! It means a lot when you go back to review. I'll do my best to maintain the pace of their relationship. It's quite difficult actually._  
Nhame_ - Eh...I'm not sure what to say! ^__^; Why don't you share with me another comic? *cough*_  
Dux_ - Ha, ha...I actually like ConjunctionShipping myself so I think that'll be fun to write. X3 As for GaiaShipping, I just thought I'd throw it in for fun. It'd probably be awhile before Cheyrl & Gardenia show up again so fluff will have to wait._  
Meliniumorder_ - Your presence took me by surprise! As for your pairing idea, I personally highly dislike that shipping. But I suppose you can read between the lines. After all, I think that Cynthia's interaction with Cyrus and their relationship is kind of unavoidable. :P Even if I dislike it, I'll keep it real._  
Pendulum - _Need I remind people that my aim is for GirlpowerShipping? =A= Of course, I don't particularly disapprove of InfraredShipping so I guess you can get some subtext. (It's part of your imagination). Ha, and here I am trying to make Mars straight. XD_  
Miko_ - Ah, thanks for the complement. Action scenes are always fun. And I see you know your games! Ponyta is like the only fire Pokémon around so that'll be most likely._  
Nartog_ - Oh, you're the only one who took note of Looker! Yes, he'll be important, people! Er, but the link's kinda broken. D: If you want to resend it to me, just do it via private message. :3_  
Amigo Dude_ - I lol'd at your name. XD But yes, I aim to go through the game completely so it'll definitely be a long-term fic. So if any readers are looking for instant gratification, I'm sorry. Anyway, I really like the Old Chateau too so it'll be revisited for sure. I'll remember to include Rotom next time. As for Galactic Admins, I prefer Saturn. (It's a fan-girl thing).

* * *

**  
Chapter 7**

"What…? That's it?" Dawn breathed a sigh of relief while Cynthia laughed. "You made it sound like something scary!"

Cynthia readjusted her glasses. "But it is."

The fourteen-year-old gave it a moment's thought. True, they were not really close friends—probably not even friends, more like acquaintances, but they were both women so there was nothing wrong; in Dawn's opinion anyway. It would probably just be a little embarrassing to share a bed that was all. Speaking of embarrassment, Dawn suddenly had a revelation, realizing how horrible the situation really was. Cynthia noticed her change in expression.

"What's wrong?" She inquired.

Dawn looked at her urgently. "I…I think I'll just sleep on the couch outside."

"And why's that?" Cynthia replied, crossing her arms. The younger girl suddenly seemed appalled at the thought of sharing a room with her! "I hope you don't feel like you should give up the room for my sake."

Dawn shook her head. "That's not it!" She looked elsewhere. "It's because I have weird dreams and…"

Cynthia blinked then smiled. "What sort of dreams are we talking about?"

"Not anything like _that_, that's for sure!" Dawn answered quickly, her head snapping back to face the older woman. "My mom said that I talk in my sleep sometimes."

She was curious. "Oh? What do you say?"

"…That's the point!" Dawn replied, flustered. "I don't _know_ what I'll say so I don't want you hearing it!"

Cynthia laughed. "Okay, okay…but then perhaps _you_ ought to get the room then. I'll sleep on the couch."

"Eh, but—"

Before she could say anything else, Cynthia had already grabbed her bag and exited the room. Dawn felt rather silly—as well as selfish, so before she knew it, she ran after the older woman. "Wait! Um, I haven't been having _any_ dreams lately so…so I think that it'll be fine!"

"What are you guys yelling about?"

Both Dawn and Cynthia turned, seeing the little girl from before standing in front of the hallway. She was wearing a green apron and looked rather cross with her two guests at the moment. Dawn scratched her head. This _was_ kind of rude, but it was mostly her fault. However, Cynthia decided to speak first.

"We're sorry," She began lightly. "I was just wondering if you had some extra pillows and blankets."

The little girl's features brightened. "I'll get it!" With that said, she ran off excitedly.

Cynthia turned back to Dawn. "And if you're okay with it, then so will I."

The fourteen-year-old was relieved as Cynthia decided to return inside. They both sat down in silence until their hostess returned with an armful of pillows and a stack of blankets. It was quite a feat that the little managed to carry all of it without falling or dropping it. She placed them in front of Cynthia and looked extremely proud.

"Here ya go!" She said happily.

Cynthia nodded in approval. "Thank you…hm…"

"Oh! I'm Anna!" The girl answered, upon realizing that she hadn't introduced herself properly. "What's your name?"

"It's Cynthia," The blonde replied. "And this is Dawn."

Dawn gave the little girl a small wave. "Thanks for letting us stay."

"No problem! You're gonna help my daddy, right?" She asked hopefully.

Dawn nodded firmly. "Mm-hm, I already promised you at the bridge!"

Anna smiled until she remembered what it was that she was supposedly doing prior to this. "Oops, I still have to make dinner!"

Running back to the kitchen, she left the two older females alone. Cynthia bent down and began to spread the blankets out on the floor, making sure that everything was neat. Dawn watched her in silence curiously until she was finished. The end product was a makeshift sleeping spot that looked fairly comfortable, despite being on the floor. Cynthia returned to her seat and began to rummage through a small pouch; Dawn finally decided to speak.

"Er…you're not sleeping on the bed?" She inquired.

The older woman smiled, not taking her eyes off of the pouch. "Oh, I wouldn't know about that yet."

Dawn tilted her head to the side slightly; curious at what Cynthia was doing. Finally, the blonde pulled out a shiny golden coin with a Magikarp on one side and a Poké Ball on the other. She flipped it into the air, caught it in one hand, and slapped it face down on her arm.

"Well, heads or tails?" She looked at Dawn. "If you call it right then you get the bed."

The younger girl blinked. _So that's her game…_ "U-um…heads."

Cynthia slowly lifted up her hand, revealing the image of the Poké Ball, much to Dawn's chagrin. She quickly made her way over to the older woman and lifted up the coin. Finding nothing wrong, she handed it back over to Cynthia, who laughed.

"Best out of three," said Dawn.

Cynthia flipped the coin again and did the same as before. "What do you want this time?"

"Heads," Dawn replied stubbornly.

Upon lifting up her hand, it became clear who was going to be sleeping on the floor that night. Dawn sighed while Cynthia placed the coin on the table. She watched in amusement as the younger girl moved her bag off of the bed and placed it down slowly on the spread on the floor.

"Why didn't you say tails?" Cynthia inquired with a smile.

Dawn crossed her arms. "Heads was my first choice so I'll stick with it."

"…I hope you're not like that with people," Cynthia replied with a hollow laugh. "Though…perhaps you'd have more luck in that department."

Dawn picked up the coin from the table. "…Well, let's test my luck again and see!"

"See what?"

"Who will get the bathroom first?" She answered, flipping the coin.

Before Dawn could lift her hand up, Cynthia held it down. "I call heads."

"…Okay…" She began slowly. However, as she looked at the coin, her expression lifted. "Hey, I won!"

Cynthia laughed. "Alright, then you should hurry before dinner starts."

With a nod, Dawn gathered her things and exited the room. Cynthia sat there quietly contemplating until her phone rang, interrupting her thoughts. She held it up and looked at it for a moment before answering. Much to her surprise, it wasn't who she thought it was; though, that didn't help to ease her mind.

"Lucian."

"_You're having fun I hope?_" He sounded neutral—as always.

Cynthia unconsciously smiled. "I suppose so. Are you going to spoil it?"

"_Hm, I've considered it, but decided not to. I was simply checking up on you, that's all._"

Cynthia felt somewhat relieved. It was a bit difficult to anticipate the man's actions. Sometimes he really intended to help her; sometimes he liked to reprimand her—all for her sake of course. "Well, I'm doing fine. I'll be back in a few months like I promised."

"_I'm glad to hear that. Everything has been very quiet actually. You'll probably never know the difference._"

"I told you," She answered triumphantly. "Hm…does that mean I can stay out longer?"

The line was quiet for awhile. "_Cynthia…you're still the Champion._"

"Ha, ha. I was only joking," She replied. "I understand."

"_Well then, I suppose I shouldn't interrupt you. Good night._"

As she turned off her phone, Cynthia was quiet. She was glad that Lucian was helping her out but she also knew that she shouldn't push her luck. One would think that being the Champion just meant looking tough and going wherever one pleased, but that wasn't true. Most of the time she had to practice; the pressure it took to be the best, _remain_ the best, didn't make things easy. She also had to overlook Pokémon League activities, such as Tournaments and major events. In the world that they lived in, that was almost customary—every day. She _did_ get breaks from time to time but they didn't last very long. Cynthia remembered the last time she had some time to herself. She had visited one of the other regions. Though she had to return within a month because of an emergency.

Cynthia breathed out slowly, leaning her head back against the chair. She enjoyed what she did, don't get her wrong. Never once did she regret becoming the Champion. However, she had to admit that even _she_ got tired after awhile. She just needed to get away for awhile, even if it was only for a moment.

"Do you want some tea?"

Cynthia turned at the sudden noise. It was Anna holding a saucer and a plastic tea cup with Trapinch images printed on it. The older woman smiled, taking it gratefully. She gave her thanks to the little girl who returned her smile.

"When Daddy looks tired, I make him tea too!" She said proudly.

Cynthia gave the girl a short pat on the head. "Thanks, I'm sure he appreciates it as much as I do."

"…When will you help him…?" The little girl inquired. Her expression was suddenly grim.

Cynthia examined her quietly before answering. "Tonight."

"Huh? Really?" The girl began in surprise. "But it'll be dark!"

Cynthia nodded, placing the cup down. "That's right so you'll have to stay here."

"But I wanna go too!" She said with a frown.

The blonde thought about it. "Okay, how's this: we go and save him _today_ or…we wait until _tomorrow_ so you can come."

Anna was quiet; apparently, Cynthia just gave her a lot to think about. Finally, she decided that she just wanted her dad back. Cynthia smiled and followed her back out into the kitchen. Anna presented her with a few peanut butter and jelly sandwiches along with gummy bears as a side dish. She sat down at the table with the plate in front of her in amusement. Anna was in the middle of pouring her a glass of milk when Dawn joined them.

"Oh, this is yours!" The little girl said, pushing a plate toward Dawn.

She sat down next to Cynthia. "Sandwiches and gummy bears…?"

"You don't like it?"

Dawn shook her head. "Are you kidding? I used to eat this all the time back in school!"

"With Pocky…?" Anna asked slowly.

Dawn clapped her hand together in excitement. "That's right!"

Cynthia watched as the two younger girls squealed and laughed with delight. It was like finding someone who liked the same sports team as you did or something, she imagined. As Dawn and Anna swapped facts about their favorite foods, Cynthia sat observing them while eating her gummy bears. She could not recall the last time she had eaten something like this so it was rather odd. She was more of an ice cream person herself.

"Ah, why don't you guys continue?" Cynthia began, getting to her feet. "I'll be in the bathroom."

Dawn and Anna nodded and continued their discussion. As she walked down the hallway, Cynthia heard Anna exclaim that she also had ice cream, which made her laugh inwardly. _I suppose irony always has great timing._ She thought, gathering her things. Nevertheless, Cynthia resisted the temptation and simply headed into the bathroom.

Back at the dinner table, the subject suddenly shifted to a more serious topic as Anna was scooping them both ice cream. The little girl told Dawn that they would go to Valley Windworks that night, according to Cynthia. Dawn rested her chin against her hand and looked at her scoop of mint-chocolate chip.

"If she says so, then I guess it'll be fine…" She stated as she began to eat.

"Is she your pro…professor?"

Dawn felt the spoon slip out of her fingers slightly. "Why does everyone keep saying that!?"

"She's not?"

Dawn thought about it for a moment. By the way she was dressed; Cynthia _did_ give off that sort of image. She shook her head. "I don't think so. Mm…I actually don't know that much about her actually."

"Huh? But…"

Dawn rubbed her chin slowly. "Well, she's just helped me out a whole lot so I guess we're friends…? Hm, yeah. I guess so."

"You guys are kinda weird," Anna stated.

Dawn ruffled the little girl's hair slightly. "Geez, sorry! Aren't we helping you out here?"

"I'm kidding!" She said defensively, fixing her hair. "I wish I could go though…"

Dawn finished her ice cream and handed the bowl to Anna. "Nope, you have to wash the dishes."

"Hey…!"

The fourteen-year-old left the kitchen and reentered the guest room, leaving Anna to indeed—wash the dishes. Dawn sat down at her makeshift bed. It wasn't that bad; it was pretty comfortable actually. She fell to her back and looked up at the ceiling. She was wondering if the operation would go smoother this time around. Last time was a bit of a disaster. Though she did wonder about what might have happened if Cynthia hadn't shown up; her cover might not have been blown then. _Well…I guess it wasn't really her fault._ She admitted sheepishly. _And she did save me and all…_ Dawn found herself dozing off sooner or later, lulling herself to sleep with her own musings. She jerked awake awhile later, unknowing of how much time had passed. _I usually hate it when that happens but…_ Dawn got to her feet and looked at her Poké Tech, which read 6:59. _Uh-oh, what if she left already?_ She thought in a panic, opening the door quickly—only to find herself face to face with Cynthia. Well, she was a head or two shorter than the blonde so technically they weren't face to face.

"Is something wrong?" Cynthia inquired. She was rather surprised because she was about to open the door until it swung open on its own. "You look worried."

Dawn breathed a sigh of relief. "I thought you left again!"

"Mm…I do seem to make it a habit," She admitted, stepping past the younger girl to place her bag down on the bed. "Did you need something?"

"I was wondering when we'd go," Dawn answered. "Anna told me that we'll help her dad out tonight."

Cynthia began rummaging through her things. "We can leave right now actually."

"Okay! I'll go get my Pokémon healed," She said excitedly, grabbing her own bag.

Cynthia glanced over as the fourteen-year-old left. She zipped up her things and followed slowly behind. She heard Dawn say a brief good-bye to Anna before running off. As Cynthia passed by, she looked at the little girl firmly, causing her to feel rather intimidated.

"You will remember what you promised me, will you?"

Anna nodded. "I'll wait here…"

"Good," She answered, smiling once more.

With a short pat on the younger girl's head, she exited the house and walked after Dawn. Once she finished with healing her Pokémon, the two of them made a stop by the local Poké Mart. As they left they passed by two people who were talking about Team Galactic. Apparently, two goons were also present somewhere near Floaroma Meadow. No body knew what they were doing but they all chose to keep a distance.

Dawn looked at Cynthia. "Guess we should get those guys too, huh?"

"We're not the police, Dawn. We can't do everything," The blonde replied. At Dawn's change in expression, she also added, "But we'll see."

Satisfied with Cynthia's reply, Dawn quietly accompanied her out of Floaroma and back to Route 205. They could see the two goons from earlier standing by the bridge. The men looked just as bored as they were before but now they had food. One man was eating a cup of instant noodles while the other settled for a few rolls of packaged bread—probably expired. Both of them nearly choked on their dinner when they saw someone approach. They quickly set down their food and got to their feet to stand at their post.

"What do _you_ want!?" The first man shouted, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

His companion tapped him on the shoulder and whispered, "It's them!"

"Ha! So what if it is!" He snorted. "You want us to kick your asses that badly, huh!?"

Dawn pulled out a Poké Ball. "Glad you got to the point so fast—c'mon!"

"Stupid brat…" He muttered, taking out his own ball. "Go, Zubat!"

The second man looked at him. "You want me to—"

"No, this kid's mine!" He yelled, looking irritated. "I could knock her out with my eyes closed!"

The other goon glanced at Cynthia uncertainly. However, she simply smiled. "Sorry, but I won't be doing anything."

Dawn turned to look at her, surprised. "You're not?"

"I think that you can handle them," She replied. "Besides, I'm not much of a _Trainer_…"

With a nod, Dawn sent out her Shinx. The first goon raised his eyebrows and crossed his arms with a sneer. "Tell ya what: I'll give ya a head start of two moves!"

However, when Shinx used Charge then Spark to knock his Zubat out in a single shot, his expression changed completely. His partner looked at him uncertainly but the man quickly returned his Zubat back into its ball and sent out a Stunky. He looked annoyed again but far more serious this time around.

Dawn looked at him with a grin. "Do I still get two free moves?"

"Argh…! Stunky, use Fury Swipes!" He shouted.

She was prepared for his attack. "Shinx, dodge it—then use Leer!"

"You think _that'll_ do you any good!?" He spat. "Scratch!"

Dawn smiled. "Okay, let's meet it head on—Tackle!"

As the two Pokémon charged at each other, both took some damage, but Shinx got out of that one with without suffering as much. Nevertheless, its opponent was still standing. Dawn commanded the feline to use Charge, while the goon chose to call out an attack. He was thoroughly annoyed by now and it was apparent. The fourteen-year-old smiled again. _Alright, just as I thought!_

"Shinx, use Spark!"

The attack was landed successfully as the man's Stunky fell to the floor. When it managed to struggle to its feet again, it was faced with a charging Shinx. The final Tackle rendered the purple skunk unconscious. The man was furious by now; he jabbed his partner's arm roughly and quickly shouted something about getting revenge. The second goon complied, sending out a gray cat with an extremely long tail.

_A Glameow…it's not the first time I've seen one._ Dawn returned Shinx back into its ball and replaced it with Piplup instead. As the man called out Scratch, Dawn decided to use Piplup's Bubble in order to counter. The opponent Glameow took in the attack but still managed to remain standing. Piplup followed up with Pound but before it could strike, the gray cat disappeared.

"Faint Attack!" The man cried. "And don't stop!"

Glameow reappeared seconds after Piplup's initial strike and landed a blow on the penguin's back. Piplup stumbled forward and turned to face its opponent, who had vanished again. Dawn faltered slightly but an idea suddenly came to her mind. "Piplup, use Bide!"

The first goon sneered. "Ha, what's _that_ gonna do!?"

"Don't worry, I got her," said his partner. "Keep using Faint Attack!"

Piplup did as Dawn had instructed, bracing itself for the impact. It felt one blow then two. Before Glameow could get another attack in however, Piplup let out a flash of white energy, sending the cat Pokémon to the floor in a daze. Reeling from the sudden impact, Glameow was unable to respond to Piplup's oncoming assault. A final Peck rendered it unconscious, much to the two goons' dismay. The second goon called his Pokemon back into its ball and ran after his partner, who had fled toward Valley Windworks.

"Hey, you can't just—" Dawn took a few steps forward, unsure whether or not to go after them or congratulate Piplup on its victory. When she made up her mind and ran after the two men, she found herself before a locked door. They were inside, sounding quite smug once again. Cynthia followed after her shortly.

"Ha, ha—too bad!" One of the men called out. "You're not getting in this door, so how's that?"

Dawn frowned, giving the door a hard knock. "I already beat you both so let us in!"

"I don't remember coming up with that, do you?" He asked, referring to his partner.

The second goon gave a snort of laughter. "No way, shrimp! You're not getting anything!"

"Argh…just you wait! We'll get in there—count on it!" Dawn cried, giving the door another sharp knock.

She could hear the laughter of the two men inside. The door was metallic and heavy; there was no way she was going to get in without the key—or without blowing it down with something. Considering her options, she knew that both were highly unlikely. She turned to Cynthia, who had been silent for awhile now, to ask her for advice.

"Any ideas?" She inquired.

The blonde shook her head. "Let's leave it at this for tonight. There's nothing else we can do."

"Huh? But can't you—" Dawn began, recalling the fact that Cynthia had at least _one_ Pokémon. She knew that it was probably capable of removing the door without too much of a problem.

However, it didn't seem as if Cynthia fancied doing such a thing at the moment, for she once again shook her head. "No, we'll figure things out tomorrow. I don't want to use force."

Dawn frowned but gave in all the same. Cynthia looked rather serious, making it clear that she was firm in her stand. Dawn returned Piplup back into its ball and they walked back to Floaroma slowly, neither saying a word. Cynthia finally stopped by the Pokémon Center and told Dawn to heal Shinx and Piplup before they return. As Dawn waited for the nurse to tend to her Pokémon, she glanced over at Cynthia who was off speaking to a few stragglers inside. She put the two Poké Balls away before approaching the older woman. Cynthia appeared to have finished her chat, for as Dawn came toward her, she gave the younger girl her attention.

"I've got some info," She explained. "I'll tell you as we go." As they continued walking, Cynthia went on, "The locals say that Team Galactic has not only a hold on Valley Windworks, but also Floaroma Meadow."

"What do they want with the Meadow?" Dawn inquired curiously.

"No one knows, but it's been blocked off," said Cynthia. "I'm guessing if we pay a visit to the guards _there_, we'll be able to get inside Valley Windworks without a problem."

Dawn's features brightened. "Okay, then we won't _need_ to blow the door up."

"I wonder if you're serious about that…" Cynthia commented, readjusting her glasses. "Like I said, we shouldn't use force."

Dawn laughed. "Oh of course not, I was only kidding!" Her expression faltered. "Um…but what are we going to tell Anna?"

"Exactly what happened I suppose," Cynthia replied, knocking on the door as they reached the house.

The door swung open immediately. They were face with a rather excited-looking and breathless little girl; it was as if she had been out jogging. This took both Dawn and Cynthia by surprise. As they reentered the house, Dawn looked at Anna curiously. "Why are you so happy? We…couldn't get to your dad…"

"Oh, I don't mind!" The little girl answered lightly. "I saw what you can do—now I _know_ he can be saved!"

Dawn scratched her head. "Well…we'll certainly try."

"Okay I—"

Before Anna could reply however, Cynthia cut her off. "How did you 'see what Dawn can do'?" The little girl faltered. Cynthia went on, "You followed us, didn't you?"

"Cynthia…" Dawn murmured, tugging at the older woman's arm. You couldn't really blame the kid, right? It was her dad after all so of course she wanted to see!

However, Cynthia did not scold her or anything along those lines. Instead, she smiled and gave Anna a small pat on the head. "I thought so. Just don't give yourself away next time."

The little girl's expression turned around completely, while Dawn breathed a sigh of relief. With everything settled, the three of them set off for bed. Dawn was about to follow after Cynthia into the hallway until she felt someone pull at her arm. She looked down to see Anna looking at her shyly. She knelt down. "What's wrong?"

"…Um…I was thinking that maybe…you could…um…sleep…" The little girl began slowly.

Dawn blinked. "You…want me to sleep with you?"

"Huh? No!" Anna replied, snapping out of her shyness rather quickly. "I wanted to switch rooms with you. You know, so I could talk to _her_."

Dawn mentally collapsed. _Oh, so that's it, you little…_ Nevertheless, she recovered herself quite nicely to lead Anna into the room. Apparently, Cynthia was in the bathroom so they were alone at the moment. Dawn scratched her head. She wouldn't mind, she supposed. She glanced sideways at Anna, who seemed positively delighted at the company in her house right now.

"Okay, but where will I go?" Dawn said finally.

The little girl seemed to have thought that out already. "You can use my room!"

"…Er, but why do you want Cynthia?" She inquired slowly. Hey, this _was_ pretty offensive if she really thought about it.

"She seems cool!" Anna replied. She also added, "You're okay too—I like your Pokémon."

"Then…?"

The little girl thought about it before answering. "But she's mature—and like a real lady."

"H-hey…that hurts a little, you know…?" Dawn sputtered. Okay, so it was _very_ offensive if she really thought about it. Though before Anna could say anything else, Dawn brushed it off as best as she could. "…Oh, don't worry about it. I'm more used to having a room to myself anyway—so thanks!"

Grabbing her things and saying good-night to the little girl, Dawn headed toward her new room. _I guess this isn't too bad!_ She thought cheerily, upon stepping inside. It was how you'd expect an eight-year-old girl's room to be. Dawn laid her stuff down and sat on the bed. Besides for being ridiculed, though not intentionally, she actually preferred this. This way she could relax and not have to worry about how she looked in the morning—or worse, how she sounded at night. Now all she needed to think about was how things would turn out tomorrow.

***

"I didn't know you disliked me enough to not even want to share the same room with me."

"Eh…for the last time, it wasn't my idea!"

Cynthia smiled inwardly. This was what the fourteen-year-old got for leaving her with Anna. It was not that Cynthia minded the fact that the little girl seemed to take a liking to her; it was simply because she would not stop asking her questions while she was trying to sleep. For one thing, she did not want to seem rude and disregard Anna just because she was young, so Cynthia did her best to answer all of the girl's questions. Children were quite difficult to deal with after an extended amount of time—like a very long night; it was almost like being the Champion again—except that she had a smaller audience to appeal to.

Thus, when morning came around, Cynthia was rather tired, though it must not have shown; since Dawn only thought that she was just teasing her for the hell of it when they first spoke. Cynthia neglected to tell Dawn the real reason why she was chastising her, wanting to keep their—her fun guilt free.

The two of them had decided to make breakfast themselves, as Anna was still asleep, before heading outside. At the moment, they were making their way toward Floaroma Meadow. They did take a peek back over at Valley Windworks but it had been the same as last night—the door was firmly shut. It seemed as if the two goons weren't about to return to their post anytime soon. However, the same couldn't be said for the Team Galactic members situated at Floaroma Meadow. When Dawn and Cynthia reached the entrance to the flower field, they heard voices on the other side. Giving each other a nod, both females walked toward the commotion.

At the meadow, there was once again a set of Galactic goons. This time, their target was an older man who looked exhausted with dealing with them. Judging by their conversation, the two men had shown up for a few days now, trying to extort honey from the old man. Because he had refused to give them what they wanted, the two goons had decided to blockade the entrance between the meadow and the town in order to keep the honey man there until he gave in. Both parties seemed to be nearing the end of their patience.

"Look, gramps—this is your last chance today," The first man warned. "We'll just go back with some _more_ guys and take it by _force_!"

"You think that your little mom-n-pop shop over there'll be standing _then_?" The second one added, jerking his thumb over to the little cottage in the distance. "It's just a few crates of honey—is it worth it?"

The man faltered but he did his best to put up a fight. "N-no! For the l-last time, I won't give it to you!" He seemed to be gathering courage as he spoke. "M-my family worked hard to get that honey a-and I won't let you come in and just take it!"

"Wrong answer, pops," said the first goon. He pulled out a key and twirled it around in his fingers. "We're gonna see what the guys think about _this_."

"Thanks."

Both men turned at the sudden presence of another person. The first man looked annoyed, as the key was lightly snatched out of his fingers. He looked at the perpetrator with a glare, immediately taking out a Poké Ball. His partner did the same as they faced the two new intruders with contempt. Dawn and Cynthia did not waver in the slightest. Cynthia studied the key with mild interest before sliding it into her pocket.

"Who the hell do you think you are!?" The first goon snarled. "You wanna pick a fight with Team Galactic!?"

"Give that back if you know what's good for you!" His partner added.

Dawn pulled out a Poké Ball. "I don't think so," She said lightly. "Let's just get this over with, okay?"

"We'll see how smart you sound after this…!" The second goon decided to go first, sending out a Zubat.

It didn't take long for Dawn and Shinx to clean that up, even if the man had a second Zubat in his arsenal. The first goon thought that he'd take on Cynthia, but she made it clear that that wasn't going to happen any time soon. He ended up battling against Dawn with his Stunky; his match ended up like his partner's—except that Dawn had chosen to use Piplup instead. Once the two men were both out of Pokémon, they shouted something about revenge before running off. Dawn and Cynthia supposed that they were headed back to Valley Windworks to join their two friends. The most interesting thing that they said was that someone named Mars would arrive soon and settle things for them. Dawn took nothing of it but Cynthia remained quiet. In the mean time, Dawn tended to the honey man, who looked thoroughly relieved that he'd have peace at last.

"They really just wanted honey?" She inquired curiously. "Why would they be after that?"

The man seemed happy to explain. "Well, our honey is special, you see. It can be used to attract certain kinds of Pokémon." He shook his head. "Who knows why they might have wanted it."

"I think you should be fine now though," Dawn replied. "We have to go."

He looked at Dawn intriguingly. "Don't get me wrong, young lady, but why did you help me?"

"We were gonna take care of them anyway," She answered lightly. "Besides, we got what we came here to do, right, Cynthia?"

The older woman gave her a short nod before turning her back to the pair. "We should head over there now."

With that said, she was off, leaving Dawn to turn back to the man with a good-bye. To her surprise, he gave her a small jar of honey. He explained that it was his way of thanks and insisted that she take it. By the time Dawn caught up to Cynthia at the Pokémon Center and got everything in order, it was around noon. They quickly made their way to Valley Windworks soon after. As Cynthia unlocked the door, Dawn watched the rotating windmills, thinking about what the honey man had said earlier. _I guess no one cared enough to do something about it…_

"Dawn, are you ready?" Cynthia inquired, holding the door handle.

The younger girl nodded. "Let's go."

However, as Cynthia opened the door, the first thing she was met with was a gun pointed at her with a click. The woman that stood before her had blazing red hair, eyes to match it, as well as a rather odd set of clothes. She was also wearing a nasty smirk on her face, which was not a good sign. Cynthia did not move; neither did Dawn out of surprise. Her eyes trailed behind the red-haired woman and locked on to the four goons she had taken out earlier. All of them had a sneer on their faces that told her that they had won.

"Hi~" The woman drawled. Her smirk widened. "Thanks for returning that." With the gun still pointed at Cynthia's head, she jerked the key out of her hand, tossing it back to one of the goons. "You came all this way…should I let you in?"

Cynthia said nothing and remained motionless; her gaze was unflinching. The red-haired woman laughed shortly, but when she clicked the gun again, she was no longer laughing. Dawn gave a sharp intake of breath, deciding to intervene.

"Stop!" She said sharply, causing all eyes to swivel in her direction. "I—we just want to—"

"I don't think I cared enough to ask," The woman interrupted, the smirk returning to her face. "But I don't feel like killing little girls today, so why don't _run along_? This isn't any of your business."

The goons behind her laughed heartily, but a cutting glance from the woman silenced them. Dawn gathered her courage, despite the presence of the weapon. "Sorry, but it _is_. She didn't do anything. _I_ was the one who trounced your guys."

"…My guys…?" The woman repeated, her expression turning slightly rigid. Upon hearing Dawn's words, she glanced back at the four men again; her eyes shown with a hint of murder. "It wasn't _her_? All four of you…were beaten by _this_ _kid_?"

There was a rush of babbling; each of the men launched into a series of explanations but none of it could be heard. The red-head was fuming; Cynthia took the opportunity and seized her by the arm, bending it back and holding it behind her. In her surprise, the woman dropped her gun, which Dawn quickly snatched up. There was a moment of silence.

"C-commander Mars! What do we do now?"

"Should w-we call Commander Jupiter?"

At the sudden mention of someone called Jupiter, the red-haired woman's anger seemed to jump up several levels. The man that suggested the idea flinched; apparently, that was the wrong thing to say. Cynthia decided to cut in before Mars began her angry rant. She released the woman's arm and shoved her lightly back toward the four men, much to Mars's surprise.

"We just want you all to leave this place," She began sharply. "We're not with the police and we're not looking to make money for spreading news."

Mars gritted her teeth. "…You think," She began slowly. "…that we'll just give up and go quietly…?"

"You don't have a choice!" Dawn said abruptly. She held the gun up shakily with both hands.

The Galactic Commander sneered. "Ah? Are you gonna shoot me if I don't listen?"

Dawn bit her lower lip. The next thing everyone knew, she threw the gun off behind her. She pulled out a Poké Ball and looked at Mars firmly. "No, I'll battle you—and _make_ you listen!"

The four men looked at their Commander uncertainly. She smirked again. "Interesting enough…" Mars regained her usual demeanor, her tone lined with hints of sarcasm. "If _you_ can beat me like you've beaten _them_…then we'll all leave—fine and dandy. How's that?"

Cynthia remained quiet, but Dawn nodded. "Okay, deal."

Mars motioned to one of the goons, who handed her two Poké Balls. Dawn looked at her in surprise. At Dawn's expression, Mars laughed shortly. "I don't _need_ to use _mine_ to win. Like I said, if you can beat _me_ like you've done with _them_, we'll go."

Once everyone was outside, they each took their respective sides; with the four goons behind Mars, and Cynthia behind Dawn. The fourteen-year-old had to admit that she was feeling increasingly nervous, but only just. She knew that if she could beat those Pokémon before, she could do it again. Besides, there was more riding on this match than just prize money or her pride alone. She had to save Anna's father—and get Team Galactic out of Valley Windworks.

Mars sent out a Zubat, which wasn't a surprise. Dawn decided to use Shinx again, which drew a reaction from the four men. They quickly began to advise Mars about using Zubat, explaining how badly they were each beaten for doing so. She sneered, called them something lower than dirt, and stood firm in her choice of Pokémon.

"Are you ready for this? It won't be easy, kid!"

* * *

**  
A/N:** I decided to cut it off midway because it was getting rather lengthy. :/ I'm worried that it could get boring so I'm doing my best; I'm not sure about my pacing. I'm trying to speed things up a bit but I don't know if I need to. Some feedback would be nice. :B

_Next_: _Things in Floaroma are wrapped up and it's on to Oreburgh, but not before Shinx gets more than it bargained for.  
_


	9. Oreburgh: Surprise

**A/N:** As usual, I appreciate all the reviews; they really helped so I feel a lot better. I felt particularly inspired so I decided to update earlier. Just be sure to notify me of any problems, like parts that seem a bit off. I don't want it to seem rushed. -___-; Though, I did do my usual check ups so I think it'll be alright. Ah, I'll probably be back to my usual slow update pace after this so…ah, yeah. Oh, I also decided to add the city/town names to each of the chapters so that it's easier to keep tabs on. :B

_Meliniumorder_ - Er, well…it _was_ mentioned in the summary. I know that you're not a fan of yuri but…thanks for reviewing anyway. ^__^;_  
Sora-Hikari_ - Oh, wow, thanks. Once again, I am touched. oAo As for a Gible…I guess I could mark that one as a 'maybe'. Personally, I'm not a fan of using pseudo legendaries but I find do Gible super adorable. Ah, and sleep talking _will _probably occur in the future, lol._  
Nhame_ - Thanks for posting! I actually found the artist's web site awhile ago. He/she(?) has really cute art of them. X3  
_Nartog_ - Ha, ha, I totally laughed at the little kids comment. As for Mars, heh, I'm trying to make her straight. You could imagine whatever you like though. ;) Thanks for the music and the advice.  
_Dux_ - Urk, now I'm kinda intimidated. Don't expect too much from Mars and Saturn! *__* And I'm glad you liked Anna; kids are kinda hard to write. Regarding the guns, they'll be explained; as tempting as it is, I won't have shoot-outs, don't worry. It's Pokémon after all!  
_Miko_ - Thanks! As for their relationship as of now, it's mainly up to the reader's speculation~. X3 I hope I didn't disappoint with this chapter's battle. It was quite fun to write. Oh, and you ought to log in more. :3  
_Yasetsu_ - I figured it'd be boring if the battles were like in the game. And ha, shipping is the child of rabid fan-girls & guys. XD As for the gun, there was one earlier with the mime. I just thought that it's more realistic.  
_Amigo Dude_ - Wow, I'm flattered! I _am_ striving for detail and accuracy here so I try. I'm glad you caught the bit with Mars & Jupiter; observant readers are awesome. Good luck playing Platinum!

* * *

**  
Chapter 8  
**

Mars started at once.

"Zubat, Confuse Ray!"

Dawn had expected an attack; she had ordered Shinx to use Charge, leaving it vulnerable to the oncoming sound waves. No sooner had they passed over the blue feline, it had an odd look upon its face. Dawn recognized it as confusion; which was no surprise, considering the name of the attack. It was no use giving out any commands because if Shinx attempted an action, it was more likely that it'd end up injuring itself.

Mars grinned widely, deciding to move in for the next attack. Zubat swooped down quickly to strike at Shinx with Poison Sting. Luckily, it merely did damage instead of poisoning the feline. Mars was not about to let up; things were going in her favor and she took advantage of it. However, as Zubat came down toward Shinx with Bite, Dawn called her Pokémon back into its ball.

"Ha, what's wrong?" The red-head called out tauntingly. "You're not done, are you?"

Dawn's only reply was a frown. She quickly sent out Piplup, deciding to change tactics. Her opponent remained highly unimpressed. In fact, Mars raised an eyebrow, refusing to believe that Piplup was going to be a step up from Shinx. The four men were all grinning now; they had no doubt that their Commander was going to do them justice. Cynthia said nothing and had not moved ever since they first came outside.

"Let's try this again then," Mars began, resting one hand on her hip. "Confuse Ray!"

The fourteen-year-old was more prepared this time. "Piplup, dodge it and use Bubble!"

As neither of them was about to call off their attacks any time soon, Piplup and Zubat begun to engage in a ceaseless dance; both were dodging the other's blows and firing back some of their own. Dawn knew that if Piplup was hit by the sound waves, it would be rendered as senseless as Shinx was; she couldn't let it happen. It was time to use Piplup's newest move.

"Bubblebeam!" She shouted abruptly.

The new bubbles came out faster and more concentrated than before; instead of shooting out in a wave, they came out in a focused stream. The sudden, faster attack took Zubat by surprise; it wasn't able to dodge, taking in the full damage of the blow. The bubbles hammered the blue bat's body, knocking it out of the air. Dawn called out Bubble in order to finish the creature off while it was still reeling from the previous blow. The attack took out the remainder of the enemy Zubat's health, rendering it unconscious.

"Great job, Piplup!" Dawn began, congratulating her Pokémon. "Rest up, okay? I might have to need your help again."

Dawn withdrew the blue penguin as Mars sent forth a Glameow. The red-haired woman's expression was a bit difficult to read. She still had about an air of arrogance but her lips had thinned. She was tad more serious now, Dawn imagined. She pulled out the Poké Ball with Shinx inside and brought it out to the field again. Time inside its ball had returned the feline back to normal. Nevertheless, Dawn knew that _this_ battle was not going to be any easier any time soon.

All of the men were hushed up. Their worry was evident on their features as they watched. Dawn still had two Pokémon while Mars only had one; even _they_ could tell that those weren't good odds. Cynthia shifted slightly in her stance but chose to remain quiet.

"I wouldn't get _too_ excited…" said Mars, narrowing her eyes briefly. "Glameow, use Faint Attack."

Dawn had anticipated that move because she quickly instructed Shinx to use Spark from behind. The electricity indeed hit its target, stopping Glameow in its tracks as it reappeared directly behind the blue feline. Mars outwardly scowled at the turn of events but she quickly brushed it off.

"Fake Out!" She ordered.

Before Dawn could call out another attack, Glameow had moved. It quickly made for one side, drawing Shinx's attention along with it. However, in an instant, it changed direction and struck Shinx across the muzzle with its paw; the sudden blow made the blue feline flinch. Glameow quickly moved in for the assault, barraging Shinx with a flurry of Fury Swipes. It managed to inflict several blows before Shinx could get away.

Mars and 'her' Glameow were relentless. Dawn and Shinx had no time to breathe as they were forced back on their toes again. The Galactic Commander proved to be very adept at handling the gray feline. She followed up with Faint Attacks whenever it was appropriate, tying them in with Fury Swipes and Fake Outs. It was very convenient for her because all of the attacks started with 'f', which Mars was taking advantage of nicely. When it seemed as if she was about to say one thing, she ended up saying another; it was nearly impossible for Dawn to anticipate the woman's moves. Shinx was thoroughly exhausted by the time Glameow stopped—just for good measure.

Mars was smirking once again. "You're not going to win with _that_ thing. I think you had better luck with your other one."

"…Take that back!" The younger girl shouted. She didn't take too kindly to the insult—even if it was more directed toward her Pokémon. "You're….you're cheating!"

Mars's Cheshire grin remained on her face. She was like a cat toying with a mouse. "I'm _winning_," She corrected. "All's fair, they always say."

Dawn frowned and looked at her Shinx. The black and blue feline looked positively furious; however, it seemed as if its rage were more directed toward itself. She watched it with a softened expression. _He's at his limit…_ She knew it well. Though as her eyes met her Pokémon's, Dawn felt something stir from within her. It was telling her that it wanted to go on—that it _had_ to, _wanted_ to. Nothing else mattered.

She nodded firmly. Dawn took a few steps forward and took a Potion out from her bag. Quickly emptying its contents on her Pokémon, she turned to her opponent with fresh determination. Mars seemed unfazed. She figured that it would only prolong Shinx's suffering. However, as she sent Glameow in for a final Scratch, Shinx was enveloped in a white light. As if the Potion contained just the thing it needed, Shinx gave out a loud roar. Mars narrowed her eyes; her Glameow stopped in its tracks. The four men watched open-mouthed while Cynthia smiled.

Once the light faded away, Shinx was no longer there. In its place stood a larger creature with a sharper-looking eyes and tufts of black fur. Its roar was slightly deeper, no longer possessing the shrillness of its younger form. Dawn was as equally surprised as the Galactic goons were. Pulling out her Poké Dex, she realized that her Shinx had just evolved into a Luxio.

"The very thing that Master Cyrus is so fascinated with…" The red-head muttered. She scowled again. "It still won't be enough to save you!" She called out to Glameow, "Attack, use Fury Swipes!"

Dawn grinned, finding new found confidence in her Pokémon. "We'll see about that—Luxio, dodge and use Bite!"

Upon evolving, Luxio's speed increased considerably. It shifted out of harm's away and went in for its own assault. As its teeth nipped at Glameow's side, the gray cat let out a hiss. Mars quickly resorted to a Faint Attack but to her surprise, Dawn ordered Luxio to leap into the air. The evasive move worked, as Glameow reappeared to the right of where Luxio had previously been standing.

"Now, Spark!" Dawn shouted.

As Luxio landed, it let loose sparks of electricity toward Glameow. Caught off guard, the gray cat shook slightly as it was struck. Mars responded with a Fake Out, but her Glameow failed to act. No sooner had the words left her mouth then Dawn called out an attack of her own. Luxio charged at Glameow with a sharp Tackle, sending it to the ground.

Mars's face contorted in fury while all the Galactic goons paled. Dawn ran forward and crouched down next to her new Luxio, hugging it around its neck. The Pokémon let out a low purr, giving its owner's face a small lick. Cynthia stepped up to the duo with a smile on her face. She looked in Mars's direction with satisfaction.

"Well? You're going to keep your end of the bargain, right?" She began, crossing her arms. "Dawn beat _you_—_just_ like she did with your men."

Mars glared at the blonde venomously. She reached toward her left pocket, for what seemed like another gun, when the door to Valley Windworks slammed open. Everyone's gazes turned immediately, to see a squat old man standing in the doorway. He had beady brown eyes and a large pair of pince-nez, which were tinted pink, perched on his nose. His mauve-colored hair was arranged in a most peculiar fashion; he was balding. His attire told them that he was with Team Galactic; the only addition he had to his uniform was a white lab coat. The man's expression was bland; his face was twisted into a frown and he had no eyebrows.

"Charon…" The red-haired woman murmured.

The man called Charon placed his hands behind his back as he walked over to his companions. "I suggest, you put that away," He said sharply, his eyes darting to Mars's left. "We don't want anymore _trouble_."

Mars's expression remained unhappy but she let her arm fall back to her side. All of the goons were completely quiet; their heads hung low as they stood shoulder-to-shoulder with one another. Charon turned to look back at Cynthia. "We will leave quietly. No need to make a _commotion_, hm?"

Cynthia studied him for a moment before answering. "That's right. We're just friendly passers-by."

"Excellent," He stated, looking back at Mars. "We have everything that we need here; there's no need to stay."

Mars met his gaze harshly but she did not rebel. Instead, she turned to the four goons and shouted, "Well!? Get going!"

The men quickly turned and headed toward the back of the building. In no time flat, they were in a helicopter, hovering above Valley Windworks. Charon began to climb up the ladder that one of the goons had just thrown down but Mars jerked it away from him roughly. She looked into his eyes; her own were blazing silently. His jaw tightened but he kept his cool.

"You don't order _me_ around," She reminded him calmly. Her expression was neutral; her tone bordered on being amused. "So don't act like you're in charge."

There was a brief pause. "…Of course, _senpai_," The older man replied, his eyes narrowing. His tone was clearly mocking.

Nevertheless, Mars released the ladder and stepped to the side, allowing Charon to continue with his climb. Once he disappeared inside the chopper, she stepped onto the ladder with one foot, and hung on with her right hand. She looked down toward Dawn and Cynthia as the copter rose higher. Mars was smirking once again, clearly daring them to come find her again.

"Bye~" She drawled, waving to Dawn. "I _will_ use _mine_ next time."

The fourteen-year-old watched as Mars and the helicopter disappeared from view. Instead of feeling worried or irritated, she felt excited. She supposed that it came from battling with the Galactic Commander, because it was much different from the battles she had faced before. For starters, the risks were a lot higher. Cynthia looked down at the younger girl curiously, calling out her name. Dawn looked back up toward the blonde.

"Er, sorry," She replied. "I guess I was a bit caught up with them."

Cynthia exhaled slowly. "Why don't we go inside?"

"Oh right! Anna's dad!" Dawn exclaimed, getting to her feet.

As if she were waiting for her cue, Anna came running up to the pair. She looked even more excited than she was yesterday. She stopped before she could collide into Cynthia. Judging by her smile, the little girl had been watching not too far from the scene.

"You did it!" She cried happily, grabbing Dawn's hands.

The navy-haired girl laughed as they engaged in a rather silly victory dance. It was only when Cynthia cleared her throat that the two girls stopped. She had stood by the door of Valley Windworks, holding it open for a man that bore a strong resemblance to Anna. He looked extremely tired but he was wearing a smile like his daughter's. At the sight of her dad, Anna ran up to him and leapt into his arms. Dawn and Cynthia watched silently as father and daughter reunited. After a moment or so, Anna suddenly pulled away from her dad with her nose scrunched up.

"Ew…you smell awful!" She complained. "You _really_ need a shower!

The man's face reddened slightly. "Anna, be reasonable. They've kept me in there for days!"

Everyone laughed. As the foursome headed back to Floaroma, Dawn filled Anna's dad in about recent events. In exchange, he told them about his extended stay at Valley Windworks. Apparently, Team Galactic was after energy; they needed it for some unknown project of theirs. Charon did not disclose very much information. The goons were certainly no help, and Mars just arrived not too long ago. Though whatever it was that Team Galactic needed energy for, he, Dawn, and Cynthia knew that it wasn't anything good.

For the most part, everything was back to normal. According to Cynthia, Team Galactic wasn't going to be stupid enough to return—out of fear. Judging by what Charon had said—attracting attention was one of the least things that Team Galactic wanted. She and Dawn bid a good-bye to Anna and her dad at the Pokémon Center. They had politely refused the man's offer to stay another night. After all, they had other things to do. The last thing that Anna did was shake Cynthia's hand; her gift, however, went to Dawn. It was a watering can and a couple of berries. Anna explained that as a Trainer, Dawn should plant berries for her Pokémon. Before she could so much as refuse, Anna told her that they were giving it away at the Peck of Colors Flower Shop. Dawn laughed and accepted it then.

At the moment, Dawn was waiting for her Pokémon to be healed. Cynthia had disappeared a few minutes ago, saying that she had something that she wanted to get; which turned out to be ice cream.

"Um…I thought it was important…" said Dawn as the blonde handed her a cone.

Cynthia gave her own scoop of ice cream a lick before answering. "Why does it always have to be important? I thought that you'd rather relax after all that."

"…I guess you're right," Dawn replied with small smile. She licked her ice cream. "Hey, its strawberry! You remembered?"

Cynthia shrugged. "I try."

Dawn laughed shortly and then resumed eating her ice cream quietly. She was still thinking about earlier. Everything went pretty well. Anna's dad said that he would be the one to 'do the rest'; as in clean up what was left. She and Cynthia did not need to worry. However, Dawn couldn't help but remember what the man called Charon had said to Mars. _They got what they needed._ That was definitely not good; did it mean that they already had enough energy to do whatever it was that they wanted? Either way, it probably meant that they were off terrorizing _someone_ somewhere. Dawn knew that she couldn't be everywhere at once so there was nothing she could do. Of course, what _could_ she do? She might've beaten a few goons but this was a national corporation here—and she was a fourteen-year-old girl.

"What are you thinking about?" Cynthia inquired, puncturing the younger girl's thoughts.

Dawn stood up abruptly. "I want to get stronger!"

"…Why?"

She looked out the window. "I need to improve or I won't be able to do anything that I want to."

Cynthia sighed and got to her feet. "…If you say so."

"Er, where are you going?" Dawn asked, clutching her ice cream cone uncertainly.

The older woman laughed slightly. "Well, we ought to hurry to Oreburgh City then. You need to get your first badge."

Smiling, Dawn followed Cynthia out of the Pokémon Center. The two of them made a short stop by the Poké Mart before heading south. (They had finished their desserts). It was then that Cynthia paused and pulled out a Poké Ball. The sight of this confused Dawn and she immediately asked why. Cynthia sent out her Togekiss. The creature hovered about a foot from the ground before the duo, giving off a happy chirp.

"We'll need to skip over Jubilife City to make the trip faster," She explained finally.

Dawn faltered slightly. "Um…'skip' as in up there…?"

When Cynthia nodded, Dawn instantly blanched. That was what she had been dreading. She knew that flying made things a lot easier but she was never quite taken with the concept. The older woman knew what she was thinking. Cynthia walked toward Dawn and took her by the hand. Dawn was surprised when she placed her hand on Togekiss.

"Does she scare you?"

Dawn blinked. "…No."

"Make you uncomfortable in any way?"

Dawn shook her head slowly. "…No."

Cynthia released the younger girl's hand and examined her through her glasses. There was a pause. "Do I?" She asked lightly.

Dawn shifted her feet and sighed wearily. "Okay. I'll go your way…"

Satisfied with her reply, Cynthia climbed aboard her Togekiss and held out a hand for Dawn. The fourteen-year-old looked at her uncertainly. It wasn't exactly roomy on the Pokémon. Her mind was already forming visuals of the variety of ways that she could fall off and die. Cynthia again seemed to read her mind.

"Togekiss can use Psychic, remember?" She stated. "You won't fall."

Dawn quietly took the older woman's hand and shakily climbed on behind her. As soon as she felt the Pokémon rise, her hands latched tightly around Cynthia's waist. Dawn's action didn't go unnoticed; Cynthia winced from the younger girl's grip. Togekiss paused before going any higher. Cynthia glanced back at Dawn, who had chosen to bury her head somewhere between Cynthia's shoulder blades. _What are you, a Seviper…?_ _Ugh, that's tight…_

"It's a bit hard to breathe," The blonde pointed out. "_I_ might fall off at this rate."

Dawn frowned and peeked at the older woman. "See? We should just—"

Upon receiving Cynthia's adamant gaze, Dawn decided to remain quiet. They _would_ be wasting time by walking. Cynthia was trying to do them both a favor so Dawn knew better than to be silly. Her hold on the blonde's waist loosened but she became rather rigid as Togekiss rose once again. As they took to the skies, the fourteen-year-old was silently imagining something else to take her mind off of her current situation. She began to go over the alphabet, count to 100, and recall who her elementary school classmates were. It was working, until—

"You're not going to open your eyes?" Cynthia inquired from the front. "You can see the town from up here."

Curse that woman. Dawn shook her head, which Cynthia felt rather than saw. However, as time passed by, Dawn began to _slowly_ adjust. She couldn't stand the weightless sensation, but the breeze actually felt quite pleasant. She imagined that it would have been very relaxing if she wasn't completely terrified. Half of her wanted to open her eyes and see where they were, but the other half told her otherwise. After what seemed like an eternity, Dawn heard Cynthia announce that they were about to land.

Dawn got off rather unsteadily but she looked thoroughly relieved to have her feet back on the ground. Cynthia gave Togekiss a gentle stroke before calling it back inside its ball for a short rest. She looked over at the younger girl, who was taking deep breaths in order to recover herself. Cynthia found it rather amusing.

"Is that the only thing you're not confident in?" She asked, half-meaning it as a joke.

Dawn glanced back at her wearily. "Well, what are _you_ scared of?"

"Melted ice cream," Cynthia replied easily. Thinking about it briefly, she also added, "And maybe too much of a selection in ice cream. I'd probably never make up my mind."

Dawn suspected that that wasn't _really_ what the older woman feared the most but she chose not to press the matter. At least it seemed like Cynthia was loosening up to a certain extent. Their conversations were growing more casual.

"Oh, we're at Route 203," Dawn stated, reading a nearby wooden sign post.

Cynthia nodded. "Once we get through here, we'll arrive at Oreburgh City."

Dawn glanced at her Poké Tech, which read 4:47. As she studied her Town Map, she realized that it wouldn't take long for them to reach Oreburgh. Flying apparently, saves you loads of time. Of course, she still preferred ground travel. She took out her bicycle and hopped on. She turned to Cynthia, who looked as if she were about to say something before her phone rang. Dawn put up the kickstand and sat patiently as Cynthia walked away to answer her call.

Once out of earshot, Cynthia picked up. "Yes?"

"_Miss Champion! You're doing well I hope?_"

Her expression stiffened slightly. "Detective… I'm glad to hear from you again."

"_Er, yes…well… Ahem, how are things in Floaroma Town?_"

"They've been settled properly," She replied. "Do you want the details?"

"_I was hoping that we could meet in person to discuss it._"

For some reason, Cynthia dreaded this response. "I see… Where do you have in mind?"

"_Well, I was at Oreburgh City last—_"

The Champion's features lifted and her tone must have as well, because Looker was rather surprised after her reply. "That's great. I'm heading over there now."

"_Er, alright…um…I'll look for you then._"

As he hung up, Cynthia smiled slightly and quickly pocketed her phone. When she returned, Dawn was grinning at her. The younger girl's action confused her. Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Oh, nothing," Dawn replied innocently. Cynthia crossed her arms, in which Dawn decided to continue. "I don't want to be rude or anything…"

"That was _not_ what you thought it was," Cynthia answered crossly. "It was business."

Dawn frowned slightly. "Way to spoil the fun…"

"Is that all you kids think about these days?" Cynthia muttered with a sigh.

Dawn laughed. "Don't say that like you're _old_."

"How old do I look?" Cynthia asked, just for the hell of it.

Dawn examined the blonde for awhile before answering. "I think that you're in your mid to late twenties…but I think that that's only what you _want_ people to think."

"Oh? That's an interesting thought."

Dawn placed a hand to her chin. "Well, having your hair up like that makes you look more mature. And you're dressed all professionally so it makes you seem…serious." She tilted her head slightly to the side as she looked at Cynthia. "Why don't you try letting your hair down?"

"Ha, I don't think so," Cynthia replied as Dawn made her suggestion.

Dawn shook her head. "No, I mean, figuratively! You know, relax?" She also added, "Or at least _look_ like it…"

"How do you know I'm not relaxing?" Cynthia asked curiously. She would like to think that she was quite adept at acting by now.

Dawn bit her lower lip. "I dunno…it kinda seems like…you're holding something back most of the time. I'm not sure how to say it."

Cynthia blinked, mildly surprised; then she smiled. "You're surprisingly observant."

"Hey, I pay attention," Dawn answered. "I remember my friends' birthdays _and_ their favorite things."

Cynthia rolled her eyes. "So you're _those_ types of people…"

"Hey…" Dawn could tell that the blonde meant it as a joke so she disregarded it. "But seriously, I just thought that if we're going to travel around with each other, we might as well be more natural." She scratched her head. "Um, well…unless you think I'm too 'immature' or something… I can be more respectful…"

Cynthia smiled good-naturedly. "No, I think you're right." She readjusted her glasses. "I don't think age really makes a difference amongst friends. It's the same with raising Pokémon."

On that note, the duo began their journey to Oreburgh. Dawn rode on her bike while Cynthia flew a little bit ahead on Togekiss. The weather was just as good as their moods were. Dawn encountered more Pokémon along the way, primarily Starlys and Bidoofs. She was fond of neither Pokémon so she simply recorded their data and moved on. When they passed through Oreburgh Tunnel there were Geodudes. What Dawn was looking for were Trainers; they _also_ helped her add to the Poké Dex.

By the time they arrived at Oreburgh City, the sun was setting. _Dinner time._ Dawn thought wearily, her insides were aching with hunger. She half-wished that she had taken Anna's offer of some food before leaving. The sight of Oreburgh however, managed to distract her momentarily. It didn't seem as modern or impressive as Jubilife, as quiet as Eterna, or as clean as Floaroma. There were all sorts of noises; they sounded like machines. Dawn realized why, because in the distance she saw a mining facility. It would also explain the air quality.

"Why don't we find a place to stay?" Cynthia suggested, returning Togekiss back into its ball. "There's an inn over there."

Dawn nodded, following the older woman's lead. As they walked, Dawn looked around. The places of interest included the Gym, the Mine, and the Mining Museum. Personally, Dawn was only concerned with the city's Gym. She never found dirt and rocks particularly attractive; they didn't sit well with her clothes and her hair. However, it only took her a wild guess to know the place that Cynthia was the most interested in. She voiced her opinion as the older woman was checking out two rooms at the inn lobby.

"There's a museum here," She began. "Do you want to check it out?"

Cynthia glanced at her as they walked upstairs. "Hm, I guess so…but what about your Gym battle?"

Dawn chose her words carefully. "Um…does that mean we'll go together on both occasions?" She examined the walls as she added, "Or do you want to split up?"

Cynthia blinked. It could go either way and it would be fine in her opinion, but she wondered what the younger girl was up to. Though before she replied, Cynthia's mind reminded her that she also had to see Looker. It was probably best that she _wasn't_ with Dawn.

As they reached their respective rooms, which were across from one another, she spoke. "Well, I don't think that you're the type to be interested in fossils."

Dawn laughed weakly. "And I guess there's no point if you came to the Gym…"

"Actually, I don't mind," said Cynthia before she could stop herself. _What's with…?_ She opened the door to her room. "I'll stop by and watch."

Dawn unconsciously brightened. "Okay, do you want me to go—?"

"Ha, I'll spare you the trouble," Cynthia replied lightly. "Just focus on your match."

With that said, Cynthia closed the door behind her, leaving Dawn to do the same. Inside, Dawn placed her bag down on the bed and fell down next to it. She looked up at the ceiling, musing about today's events. From the start of her journey to this very moment, everything had been exciting. She wondered how much of it she could take, but she knew that she enjoyed every single minute of it. She knew that she simply had to keep moving forward—there was nothing to stop her now. It was in the midst of the silence that Dawn remembered that she was hungry. _Ooh…better wash up so I can eat._ She thought, getting up and entering the bathroom.

Across from Dawn's room, Cynthia was sitting in a chair. She was also having similar thoughts. Her plans for recreation were completely changed as far as she knew. Instead of vacationing, she was accompanying a fourteen-year-old girl on her journey as a Trainer; not to mention while working secretly with a member of the International Police to investigate Team Galactic. It sounded quite outrageous if she really thought about it. Nevertheless, it was much better than staying at the Pokémon League, that she was certain. She looked at the date on her phone. _Another month or so, I imagine._ She scrolled through her list of contacts and settled on Looker's number. Cynthia had half a mind to call him but settled on sending him a message instead. It told him to come by the Mining Museum tomorrow in the morning. Tucking her phone away, Cynthia decided to clean herself up a bit before heading outside.

Cynthia paused before Dawn's room. She knew that the younger girl had not eaten dinner yet so she decided to knock. "Dawn? It's me. Do you want to get something to eat?"

The door opened almost immediately. "Oh, yes! I was just about to go."

"You're starving, aren't you?" She eyed the fourteen-year-old with amusement.

Dawn brushed it off. "Let's just eat, okay?"

The duo settled for a modest dinner. The instant that they stepped outside, Dawn dashed toward a nearby food stand that was selling sandwiches. Cynthia looked at her skeptically for a minute before purchasing one of her own, which was actually not that bad. They ate silently on a bench, watching the activity going on at the mines. Suddenly, there was a miniature explosion. Dawn and Cynthia watched as the mine workers rushed out, looking dusty and coughing. It didn't seem as if anything major had been damaged because the workers slowly made their way back towards the mine and began to talk to one another. One man stood out in particular.

The man looked rather young, no older than eighteen. He was dressed in gray and wore an orange hard hat. He was currently wiping off his glasses and laughing. Dawn tossed her sandwich wrapper away and looked at the scene curiously. She distinctly heard the men talk about something about blowing up a machine. Deciding to get a closer look, she left Cynthia on the bench and approached a woman nearby, who was also watching the scene.

"Excuse me; do you know who that is?" She inquired.

The middle-aged woman smiled. "Oh, that's Roark, the city's Gym Leader. He always spends his free time in the mines."

"I-is that normal? The explosions, I mean," Dawn asked uncertainly, watching the men's blackened features.

The woman laughed. "You'd be surprised! Explosions are quite common. They're nothing that people around here aren't used to!"

"Er, well…isn't that dangerous?"

She waved her plump hand airily. "Roark knows what he's doing. He never endangers the workers. He's young but I can tell that he'll be as great as his father."

"…He _will_ be at the Gym tomorrow, right?" Dawn pressed on. "I mean, you did say that he was the Gym Leader…"

The woman looked at Dawn warmly. "So you're a Trainer then! Why don't you go ahead and introduce yourself? I'm sure Roark wouldn't mind knowing that he's got such a cute challenger!"

Dawn flushed but she took the woman's advice. She approached the group of men slowly, who took note of her presence and turned their attention to the fourteen-year-old. One of the men grinned and pushed Roark to the front. "You want _him_, right?"

"H-hey!" The Gym Leader sputtered.

Dawn scratched her head sheepishly. "Uh, but yeah, I do…"

Roark paused and shot a glare back at his fellow mine workers. The older men laughed heartily and made their way back down to the mines. Roark turned back to the younger girl and took off his hard hat as he started to brush dust from his mahogany-colored hair. Placing the hat back on his head, he smiled.

"What can I do for you?"

Dawn decided to get to the point. "My name is Dawn and I was wondering if I could challenge you to a Gym battle tomorrow."

"A Gym battle, huh?" He repeated. "Well, Dawn, I don't see why not. Tomorrow it is."

She suddenly remembered something. "Oh, and have you battled anyone recently? A boy?"

"…Yeah, I think I did," Roark answered, rubbing the back of his head. "He was really energetic—he went all the way down to the mines and practically dragged me back to the Gym."

Dawn smiled. "I see…thanks! I'll come by in the morning, is that okay?"

"Sure, I don't mind."

Waving to the eighteen-year-old, Dawn turned and headed back to where Cynthia was sitting. Roark followed her with his eyes. He looked at the blonde curiously; he couldn't help but feel as if he had seen her some where before, even if it was dark. He brushed it off and headed back to the mines.

"I'm battling him tomorrow!" Dawn announced.

Cynthia nodded shortly. "Well, good luck with that. I think you should get some rest now."

"Mm, let's go back!"

***

Once morning came around, Dawn and Cynthia bid each other a good-bye and headed off to their individual destinations. While Dawn entered the Gym and began her battle with the Junior Trainers, Cynthia headed to the Oreburgh Mining Museum. She really did want to check out some of the exhibits but she knew that she had something more important to do. She purchased herself a ticket and stood at one of the further ends of the museum, examining the fossil of an ancient Pokémon. It was then that an elderly looking man came up and stood beside her. He eyed her from time to time, trying to catch her attention.

"Miss Champion…" He whispered in a raspy voice.

Cynthia glanced over at him, slightly disturbed. "Do I know you?"

"Oh, I'm in disguise—it's me, Looker!" The man laughed.

Cynthia eyed him with hints of uncertainty. "I see… You're quite good at changing your voice."

"Ha, ha…thanks but it's actually this special medicine that does that," He answered. "Anyway, I was wondering if we could get down to business."

Cynthia nodded and began to fill the detective in on recent events. She explained to him what happened in Eterna City and Floaroma Town; though she chose to leave out the details concerning Dawn. Looker seemed rather impressed when she was done but his expression soon turned to one filled with worry.

"So that means that they're planning something big…" He stated. "We have to find out what it is! They can't get away with it!"

Cynthia readjusted her glasses. "What's the plan then, detective?"

"…I suppose that we should continue with our investigation," Looker replied. "No matter what, we _have_ to stop Team Galactic!"

Cynthia exhaled slowly. She suddenly remembered something. "Oh, I also have something for you."

"Huh? What is it?"

Cynthia quickly made a shift from her bag to his. _She's quite good at this._ He noted. Looker glanced down at his bag and then back at the Champion.

"It's a gun that one of the Team Galactic Commanders was using," She explained. "I don't think that the lesser soldiers have them. I'm guessing that it's not ordinary."

Looker grew quite interested. "Very good, Miss Champion! I'll have a look at it later!" His expression fell a bit. "Er, but that means that you had a pretty close encounter with them…"

"Unfortunately, yes I did," Cynthia replied with a frown.

He stroked his gray mustache and fixed his round shades. "Well, then I'm sure that Mars and Charon will recognize you the next time around…"

Cynthia thought about that for a moment. "What are you suggesting?"

"You need a new disguise, Miss Champion!" He answered excitedly.

Cynthia blinked. "You're not serious. I'm not exactly a secret agent."

"Oh, I can help you there, don't worry!" Looker began. "I have plenty of equipment that you can use! I'll have you know that I've even disguised myself as a woman before!"

Cynthia's eye twitched slightly. "Charming."

"I'll go get some things for you—I won't disappoint," He reassured her. "This is all for safety of course, you don't have to wear it everyday."

Cynthia sighed and nodded. "Alright, detective, drop it off at the inn. I'm staying in Room 46." She glanced back at him before continuing. "Now why don't you tell _me_ something?"

"Er, what is it?" He asked slowly. His mustache twitched.

It was what he dreaded answering: "What did your superiors say to you?"

"…Ah, that… Er, I assure you that you…uh, don't need to worry…" He replied choppily. "Erm…they just told me to 'watch my step'."

Cynthia studied him out of the corner of her eye quietly. "…I'm glad to hear that then." The blonde glanced at her watch. "Well, if that's all…"

"Oh, go right ahead! I'll send over your disguise later," He answered quickly.

With that said, Cynthia left. Handsome breathed a sigh of relief. _I'm sorry, Miss Champion but this isn't just for my sake._ He hobbled out of the building a little while after her. He was eager to research the gun that she had just given him. Handsome knew that he also needed to get the Champion a proper disguise, as well as make sure she was able to use it. Truth be told _he _was also staying at the inn that she was at so it shouldn't be a problem.

Meanwhile, Dawn had just trounced Roark's Junior Trainers. She was getting ready to battle the eighteen-year-old when the Gym doors opened. Dawn waved when she saw who it was. Cynthia smiled in acknowledgement and took a seat at one of the stands. Dawn turned back to her opponent. Roark had been watching the fourteen-year-old battle and he was actually pretty impressed. Despite the type disadvantage, she had used a Luxio for the majority of the two matches. It was only when his second Junior Trainer used his Onix that Dawn decided to use Piplup.

After giving both of her Pokémon a few Potions, Dawn was ready. As Roark sent out his Geodude, Dawn decided to use Luxio. The Gym Leader seemed slightly amused.

"My Geodude is a lot stronger than the others, you know," He said.

Dawn smiled. "My Luxio doesn't seem to mind."

The black and blue feline made a sound of agreement. Roark laughed. The battle began. The Gym Leader decided to start things off with a Rock Throw. His Geodude thus lobbed a rock toward Dawn's Luxio, which it easily avoided. Dawn figured that Roark just wanted to test the water. She told Luxio to dodge and attack with Bite whenever it was appropriate. Roark was surprised when he found out that Luxio's assault was quite effective.

"You trained it pretty well," He commented. "But I still have the advantage!"

Dawn had something planned. "Luxio, use Swagger!"

Roark watched as the creature let out a distinctive growl, driving his Geodude into a temporary frenzy. He frowned and tried calling out a few commands to his Pokémon. Geodude destroyed a couple of rocks along the field but failed to hit its opponent. Taking advantage of Geodude's confusion, Dawn called out Tackle. As Luxio knocked into the Rock Pokémon, it was sent colliding into a series of debris. Roark's breath caught slightly as he realized that the first round had gone to the challenger.

"Geodude, return!" He said, withdrawing the Pokémon. He took out another ball and revealed the creature inside to be an Onix. "Think you can take out this one like you did earlier?"

Instead of using Luxio, Dawn chose to replace it with Piplup. Roark faltered slightly but remained determined. He ordered Onix to use Stealth Rock, which set up levitating stones around the battle field. Dawn found it rather interesting; her mind was already forming new ideas. Just as Roark called out Rock Throw, Dawn told Piplup to navigate on the stones. The blue penguin evaded the incoming blow by hopping atop one of the floating rocks. As Onix blasted away, Piplup continued from stone to stone.

"Use Bubble!" Dawn shouted.

Unable to effectively seek out the small penguin, Onix cringed as the attack hit its target. Roark decided to change tactics. He quickly instructed his Onix to use Dig. Dawn and Piplup watched as the serpent creature burrowed its way underground. All was quiet for a moment until Onix resurfaced. It burst out of the ground violently, sending debris flying. Dawn gasped in surprise as the attack grazed Piplup, sending it to the floor. Onix towered before the blue Pokémon and emitted an ear-splitting cry, causing Piplup to wince.

"Good, Onix, now use Rock Throw!" Roark commanded, after Screech stopped.

Dawn knew what she had to do. Piplup was in no condition to dodge so she just had to have it meet the attack head on. "Bubblebeam!"

The rock collided into the stream of bubbles; for a second, Roark thought that Onix's attack would follow through. However, the blast shattered the rock and went straight for its owner. With a direct hit to its face, Onix toppled backward. It attempted to get back up but another Bubble from Piplup managed to knock it out. Dawn cheered while Roark returned Onix back into its Poké Ball. He seemed a bit desperate now.

"No way! It's not over yet!" He cried out. "I'm not giving up yet!"

The Gym Leader took out his final Pokémon.

* * *

**A/N:** I don't know why but I really got into the battling. Hope you found it entertaining! Anyway, I just decided to have Shinx evolve just for the hell of it (since it was _so_ requested). Don't ask why Piplup hasn't evolved though. You'll have to wait for that one. ;) Oh and if it seems like I'm rushing through Oreburgh, it's because I really don't like that place. It's so boring! =A= Oh well, I do what I have to. As usual, comments are loved.

_Next_: _Cynthia gets a present and Dawn gets something else. It's also time to head back to Eterna via Cycling Road! What's that sound?_


	10. Oreburgh: Aftermath

**A/N:** Absolutely no excuses for the terrible update speed. I just want to make it clear that I'm definitely still continuing this fic so I appreciate all of your feedback.

_Sora-Hikari_ - Ah, hopefully you'll be satisfied with how the Gym match ends. And I couldn't get enough of Cynthia and her ice cream after watching that one episode so I decided to include it in the story. X3_  
Amigo Dude_ - I wish I could update as quickly more often but... Anyway, I'm glad you found Charon interesting (I don't really care for Roark); he'll be important. Oh, and regarding Looker, I thought I'd use both of his names. He's a fun guy to write.  
_Dux_ - Ha, I'm actually looking forward to doing some Gaiashipping so hopefully I'll satisfy. Thanks for your praise…and the pics. *A*  
_Nhame_ - Pictures are always good but a simple review is nice. I'm just happy that you take time to review!  
_Yasetsu_ - Thanks a lot. I'm glad you find humor in the story. I try, you know.  
_Meliniumorder_ - Er, I know you can't evolve during the _games_ but I think its happened in the anime before. And I guess you're right so I tried tuning Roark up. Hopefully the end of the battle will be satisfactory. Thanks for the input!  
_Retsam_ - Or should I call you Cupcake? :/ Anyway, like I've told Dux, there'll be more Cheyrl/Gardenia soon. :3  
_Miko_ - Well, Pearl & Lucas are her current rivals; they'll keep her in check, don't worry. And I just thought that Dawn's fear of heights would be interesting. As for levels, they won't exist. Like in the anime, the Pokémon battle based on the Trainer's experience and creativity.

* * *

**  
Chapter 9  
**

Roark was not down for the count just yet. The Poké Ball burst open with a flash to reveal a blue and gray dinosaur-like creature. It stood before its opponent with a steely look in its eyes. The Pokémon shifted one foot back and forth on the ground, as if preparing to charge. Roark looked determined to win.

Dawn pulled out her Poké Dex, which labeled the creature as a Cranidos. Pocketing the device, she quickly called Piplup back inside its ball and replaced it with Luxio. _I better see what it can do first…_ She decided; her expression grew serious. As Luxio came to the field, she blinked in surprise as several of the floating rocks launched themselves toward her Pokémon; taken by surprise, Luxio was hit with several. It grimaced as the rocks drifted away but Luxio remained standing.

On the other side of the field, Roark grinned. It had finally paid off—Stealth Rock. He had ordered Onix to use it while Piplup was out so it did not do any damage. However, Dawn had done what he had anticipated; she wanted to test his Cranidos. By switching out, she allowed her Pokémon to be subjected to Stealth Rock's effect. He was well aware of the advantage that water-Pokémon had over rock types so he had to do whatever he could to even the odds. It was the younger girl's way of utilizing Stealth Rock to _her _original advantage that took him by surprise. However, he wasn't about to give in; he had skills that made him the Gym Leader—and it was time to show them.

"That wasn't just for show," He stated, in response to Dawn's surprise. Roark fixed his helmet. "Cranidos and I aren't going to give up so easily!"

Dawn smiled. "Alright, let's go! Luxio, use Leer!"

"Cranidos—charge and use Headbutt!" The Gym Leader called out.

Ignoring the effect of its opponent's attempt at intimidation, Cranidos broke into a run. It was much faster than Dawn had thought and the head-on attack caught her by surprise. The dinosaur Pokémon charged past the levitating stones and collided into Luxio with its head. Luxio let out a cry of pain as it flew into the rocks embedded in the field. It struggled to its feet and aimed a futile Leer at its opponent. Cranidos narrowed its red eyes and held its ground.

"Try getting out of the way, Luxio!" Dawn ordered. "Get behind one of the rocks!"

Roark grinned. "Heh, use Pursuit!"

Upon command, Cranidos ran toward Luxio once more; this time, it was a lot slower but half-way there, it seemed to darken until it vanished. Dawn prepared for the worst; it seemed familiar to Faint Attack. She quickly ordered Luxio to run but that proved to be unwise. As Luxio began to move, a dark-shape quickly appeared before it. Surprised, Luxio took the brunt of the attack, which seemed a bit more intense than it should've been.

"It's only worse if you try to escape!" Roark explained. "I suggest you take me seriously if you want to win!"

Dawn felt her hand ball into a fist; she was slightly deterred but the feeling lasted only for a second. "Luxio, use Tackle!"

Upon command, the black and blue feline ran toward its opponent. Roark knew that Dawn was only attacking out of frustration; she was playing into his hands. Defense was his Pokémon's forte—he will not lose. Cranidos decided to meet Luxio head on with a Take Down. As the two Pokémon collided, it wasn't difficult to figure out which one would be coming out on top. The impact sent Luxio plowing into another pile of debris along the field. Cranidos recoiled from the hit but remained standing. It let out a triumphant cry. Luxio couldn't even move underneath the rubble; Dawn watched with apprehension as her Pokémon fell unconscious.

"Luxio, return!" said Dawn, pulling out a Poké Ball.

Roark readjusted his helmet again. They were both on their last Pokémon. Dawn sent out Piplup, who was instantly struck by a few of the levitating rocks. The little blue penguin winced but after Dawn gave it a Potion, Piplup was ready for the battle. Roark smiled and decided to take the initiative. Cranidos started things off with a Headbutt.

"Get on the rocks again, Piplup!" Dawn called out.

Piplup leapt out of harm's way and onto one of the floating stones as it had done during the battle with Onix. Cranidos skidded to a short stop before it could crash. Immediately, Piplup launched a Bubble attack toward its foe. Cranidos demonstrated a surprising amount of agility by hopping backwards to avoid the spray.

"Cranidos, you get up there too!" said Roark.

To Dawn's surprise, Cranidos had joined Piplup atop the rocks in the air. The battle resumed. Both Piplup and Cranidos began navigating across the levitating stones. Piplup let loose a series of Bubble attacks, in which Cranidos dodged—or rather, it dropped to the ground before the attack could land; after which it leapt back on the airborne rocks and resumed navigating toward its foe. The instant Piplup took a few seconds to rest, Cranidos counterattacked with Take Down. Narrowly avoiding each blow, which destroyed the floating stone in a single shot, Piplup retaliated with Bubble. Both Pokémon continued like that until nearly all of the aerial rocks were destroyed—either by Bubble or Take Down.

"I'm still not giving up," said Roark determinedly.

Dawn met his eyes firmly. "Well, neither am I!"

Both of their Pokémon were breathing heavily as they stood opposite one another on the field. By the looks of things, the match would end soon after the next blow or so. Dawn and Roark slowly grinned. An all out kamikaze attack would surely make a satisfying end. One shot—the final blow—it was all it was going to take to finish.

"Cranidos—"

"Piplup—"

They shouted out their attacks at the same time, with Roark yelling, "Take Down!" and Dawn crying, "Pound!"

Cranidos growled, and broke out into a run; Piplup held out its right wing and did the same. As Cranidos charged into Piplup, the little blue penguin met the impact with a sharp jab, its wing glowing white. Both creatures skidded backward, grimacing in pain. Piplup sank to its bottom and struggled to remain conscious. Cranidos remained standing, its eyes slightly narrowed and its breathing shallow.

Roark's eyes were locked onto his Pokémon, willing it to last—he _knew_ it could. Dawn's breath caught as she watched. Slowly, as if it took awhile before the pain to sink in, Cranidos winced and dropped to the ground. All eyes swiveled towards Piplup, who shakily got to its feet.

"Wh-what…? That can't be!" Roark muttered, his hands tightening into balls. "My buffed-up Pokémon…"

The judge waved the flag in Dawn's direction and announced the results. "The Gym Leader's Pokémon is unable to battle. Victory goes to the challenger!"

Dawn let out a cheer as she ran up to her Pokémon and scooped it up into her arms. Piplup made small sounds of acknowledgement but fell silent a few seconds afterward. It was then that Dawn realized that Piplup had fainted. She stroked its head gently before returning it into its ball. At the same time, Roark was crouched beside his defeated Pokémon with a weary smile.

"Thanks, Cranidos…" He sighed, recalling it inside its Poké Ball. The eighteen-year-old got to his feet and approached his challenger. "Ha, this is embarrassing…I went and lost to a Trainer who didn't have a single Gym Badge…"

Dawn watched as he placed his hand into one of his pockets. "Er…"

"But that's tough luck, huh?" Roark smiled sheepishly. "You were strong and I was weak—that's all there is."

The younger girl shook her head disbelievingly. "No way, that wasn't easy!"

Roark laughed slightly and pulled out a small black pouch. "According to Pokémon League rules, I have to give you our Gym Badge since you've beaten me, the Leader." He reached inside the pouch, took out a shiny metallic piece with an image (that resembled his helmet in Dawn's opinion) embed on it, and held it out. "Here's your official Pokémon League Coal Badge."

As Dawn picked up her prize, she felt something surge throughout her. The feeling was indescribable; happiness would probably be an understatement. Finding know other way to express her current state of mind, Dawn opted to hopping into the air with a cheer.

"Alright, we won our first badge!"

Roark fixed his helmet slightly in amusement. "Ha, ha, 'we'…?"

"I couldn't have done it without Piplup and Luxio!" Dawn replied with a smile. "They should be first thing I think about, right?"

Roark blinked as she turned his back to him and ran in the opposite direction. He watched while the fourteen-year-old showed her companion the Coal Badge. Roark exhaled slowly and cursed himself for being an idiot. He had forgotten. He thought that strengthening his Pokémon would be enough but he had forgotten one of the most important things about battling; he didn't pay attention to what _he_ was doing. _Asking Cranidos to use Take Down repeatedly…ha, I get it…_ Roark waved back as his challenger and her friend exited the Gym. He wanted to prove that he was stronger so he wanted to match Dawn blow for blow, but he knew now that that was foolish. _…I _will_ catch up, dad…just watch._

***

"You've been smiling and giggling non-stop."

"Oh, sorry…it's just that—I'm really happy! I can't help it!"

Dawn and Cynthia were at a Poké Mart, restocking on supplies. Of course, after the Gym match, Dawn had gotten her Pokémon healed. Cynthia had asked her what she wanted to do afterward and the younger girl had immediately suggested that they go to Eterna City. However, Cynthia, remembering what she had planned with Looker, refused. Instead, they had chosen to get their affairs all sorted out today so they could leave early tomorrow. All the way, Dawn couldn't hide her joy and excitement. Cynthia couldn't exactly bring herself to stamp on the younger girl's happiness by reminding her that there was more to be done. Instead, Cynthia decided to treat Dawn to another cone of ice cream.

As the two of them walked, discussing the match and eating their ice cream, they heard someone call out. It was Roark. The Gym Leader was jogging up to Dawn, holding what seemed to be a disk of some sort. As he stood before the two of them catching his breath, Cynthia turned away, apparently very interested in a juice ad pasted on a billboard overhead.

"I'm glad you're still here," Roark began, glancing briefly at the blonde before turning back to Dawn. "I wanted to give this to you."

Dawn looked down at the CD in his hand. "Huh? But that's a TM, isn't it?"

"That's right, it's TM76 for Stealth Rock," He explained. "You might find it useful. I'm supposed to give them out along with the badge. Go on, take it!"

Dawn nodded and tucked the TM into her bag. "Er, thanks for going all this way…"

"Ha, it's my fault that I forgot," Roark answered. "Where are you headed next?"

Dawn resisted the urge to give her ice cream another lick. "Oh…we're going to Eterna City!"

"Well, good luck," He said with a smile. "In Sinnoh, there are seven other Gym Leaders. I should warn you—they're a lot tougher than I am!"

With that said Roark departed with another wave. Dawn watched as he headed toward the mines, which wasn't a surprise. She took what he said to mind. She knew that this was only one of her beginning steps. She had to work hard if she wanted to get to the Pokémon League. Dawn turned back to Cynthia, who had been rather quiet.

"Cynthia? What are you looking at?" She inquired curiously, following the older woman's gaze. "Are you thirsty…?"

Cynthia laughed shortly. "It's nothing." Looking for a change of subject, she added, "You didn't have lunch yet, did you? C'mon…"

The blonde pointed to a small shop nearby and got them a table. As they both still had ice creams, they spent time finishing those instead, much to the waiter's annoyance.

After eating, there was little left to do in Oreburgh City. Dawn had asked how Cynthia's trip to the Mining Museum was and suggested that they visit it again together. Cynthia was able to pay more attention this time around so she was grateful for Dawn's offer. There was surprisingly much more to the Mining Museum than rocks as they both found out; one of the guides had told the tourists that they had a team of scientists who were capable of reviving ancient Pokémon from fossils.

Once they had seen everything in the museum, Cynthia decided to drag Dawn to the mines. Though she was reluctant at first, Dawn found that it was a good opportunity to train; as most of the workers were happy to battle with her. By the time night fell and they headed back to the inn, Dawn was tired and quite eager for bed. However, as they walked past the lobby, the receptionist got their attention. She had a large circular box with her that was tied with a violet ribbon; there was a food label on the lid.

"Oh, excuse me. A package was sent to room 46," said the receptionist. "We were waiting for it to be confirmed."

Cynthia moved over to the counter quickly. "Yes, that's mine."

"If you could sign here…"

Dawn watched as Cynthia and the receptionist made their exchange. She knew that she was probably being nosy but her curiosity got the better of her. As they walked up the stairs, Dawn turned to Cynthia, who was holding the box quietly without a word. _That's definitely suspicious._

"Um…is it from a friend?" Dawn asked casually.

Cynthia glanced at her then back at the box. "…It's from my boss."

"Your boss?" Dawn repeated.

Cynthia nodded. "That's right. It's been awhile since I've been on vacation so he said that he'd send me something to lift my spirits."

"You must be a good employee," said Dawn.

Cynthia smiled. "I guess so. Do you want some? I think that their cakes from Hearthome City."

"Oh, it's okay! That's from your boss so you should eat it," Dawn replied. "Besides, I'm not hungry."

With that said, the two bid each other a good night before heading into their respective rooms. Inside, Cynthia sat down on the bed with the box next to her. She didn't want to lie but it was better than having to explain. Cynthia looked over at the box; after a moment, she cut the ribbon and lifted the lid. _He isn't serious…_ Cynthia lifted up the small make-up box and examined it briefly. There were a few brushes inside, along with a series of different powders and so on. Placing the make-up down, she examined the rest of the box's contents. There was a set of clothes—clothes that she didn't want to examine any further, and some accessories. At the bottom of the container, she found an envelope and a miniature box; it didn't take much for her to know that it had a pair of contact lenses inside. Cynthia opened the envelope and began to read. Once she finished, she set the letter down wearily. _I am _not_ a secret agent, Looker…_

The last line of the letter read: _Burn this message after reading._

***

They left early next morning. After a hasty breakfast, Dawn and Cynthia headed to the northern city gate. Roark had stopped by briefly to say good-bye before he left for the mines. (Cynthia turned away as usual). Dawn was currently examining her Town Map while Cynthia stood by her without a word, looking distracted. Tucking the map away, Dawn turned to her traveling companion curiously.

"Cynthia? Did you um, hear what I said?"

The older woman blinked. "Oh, I'm sorry. What is it?"

"I was just saying that if we go up that slope past Route 207, we'll get to Cycling Road," answered Dawn. "I don't think that it'll take very long."

Cynthia nodded shortly. "Alright, let's go then—"

"Oh, wait here!"

Cynthia looked at Dawn curiously as the younger girl held out her hand to stop. Dawn was staring at something in the tall grass up ahead; it was vague but there were small flickers of orange and red amongst the green. Dawn took out her Poké Dex eagerly and made her way into the grass, which reached unpleasantly around her neck. The younger girl seemed to pay no attention to it and simply continued, leaving Cynthia to watch her.

Dawn parted the grass, approaching her target cautiously. As she had thought, it was a Pokémon that she hadn't recorded before: a Ponyta. It was lying down, pulling out a few strands of grass into its mouth. When it caught sight of Dawn, it got to its feet and pawed the ground anxiously. Dawn blinked. She was only going to record its data but as she stood before it, she couldn't help but appreciate the way the flames rolled across Ponyta's back, making it seem majestic and powerful. _I have to catch it!_ She decided, pulling out a Poké Ball. Dawn sent out Luxio.

"Okay, Luxio, use Bite!"

As Luxio went in for an attack, Ponyta began to run—away. Undeterred, Luxio followed up with Spark. This time, the electricity managed to stop Ponyta in its tracks. Luxio took the opportunity to nip at the horse's side, causing it to cry out. Now aggravated, the wild Ponyta sent some flames in Luxio's direction. The black and blue feline took the attack stubbornly and growled back defiantly as the small flames died away.

"Er, you should've dodged that!" Dawn cried. She watched as Ponyta began to charge. "Well—dodge this one!"

Luxio did as it was told but failed to dodge the attack completely; Ponyta managed to catch it around the legs as it tried to leap out of the way and sent Luxio stumbling to the ground. It got up with a frustrated snarl, realizing that the wild Ponyta was faster. Dawn quickly realized that too.

"Alright, we have to counter with something else," She said, hoping that Luxio wouldn't get carried away. "You have to take this…use Charge!"

Ponyta had just issued out another Ember attack and just like the last time, Luxio took the damage. The fire horse took the chance to follow up with Tackle. Waiting, for Dawn's signal, Luxio stood its ground. It acted as soon as "Spark!" left Dawn's mouth. Ponyta lost its footing as the charged up electricity hit. It collided to the ground and made little effort to get to its feet. Dawn threw the Poké Ball, which sapped the fire Pokémon inside with a flash of red light. She watched as the ball gave a few feeble shakes before becoming still.

"Yes, we did it, Luxio!" Dawn cried out triumphantly, scooping up the Poké Ball.

Luxio made a noise to show that it also enjoyed the victory. Dawn gave it a Potion (with some difficulty) before returning it back into its ball. When she got back to Cynthia, Dawn was wearing a silly grin.

"I caught my third Pokémon!" She declared.

Cynthia gave her a congratulatory smile. "I saw some of it from here. It was a Ponyta, right?"

"Mm-hm, I think my mom used to have one," Dawn replied. "They're supposed to pretty good in Contests."

"So I suppose you _weren't_ thinking about your Gym battle with Gardenia when you caught it…" said Cynthia with traces of amusement.

Dawn gasped. "Oh, that's right."

"In any case, I don't think it will matter too much," said Cynthia. "You probably won't have time to train it, so it won't really matter."

"Well, I could try," replied Dawn, pulling out the ball with her new Ponyta inside.

Dawn sent it out. It was still weary and injured from the battle. She took out a Super Potion and approached it slowly. The flames on its body were hot. Ponyta looked at her warily for a moment but the heat slowly seemed to die down. She had expected it to move away or react with disdain but Ponyta then stayed put and allowed her to use the Super Potion. Dawn tucked the empty bottle away and looked at it curiously. Ponyta returned her gaze for a good long moment before looking elsewhere.

"Er, I'm Dawn…" She said slowly.

Her comment earned her another glance. The air surrounding it was warm. Dawn remembered what her mother had said about Ponytas; it normally wasn't possible to touch the flames but if the Pokémon allowed you to, that wouldn't be a problem. She wasn't entirely sure whether or not she would be burned if she tried, but Dawn decided to give it a shot. Ponyta made a short noise but did not move away. After a moment or so, Dawn withdrew her hand.

"Ouch…I guess not," She said, shaking her hand slightly. The flames did not burn but they were still too hot to be touched, like a frying pan that was just taken off of the stove.

"I'm sure it'll grow warmer eventually," said Cynthia, missing the pun.

"If it grows any warmer I'll get burned," Dawn replied with a small frown.

Cynthia laughed. "Well, I'm sure its showing quite a bit of trust in you at the moment. After all, it allowed you to heal it."

"I guess that's true," Dawn answered, examining the fire Pokémon fondly. "I mean, you should've seen it when I tried to give _Luxio_ a Potion…"

"Well, different Pokémon have different natures," said Cynthia. "Hm, your Ponyta is a lot more obedient."

Dawn recalled learning about the nature of Pokémon in school. Every Pokemon's nature affected its growth and so on; nature was basically a Pokemon's personality. Dawn examined the status of her three current Pokémon on her Poké Tech. Cynthia looked over her shoulder.

"Piplup has a Serious nature… Luxio has a Naughty one—no surprise there…" Dawn read slowly. "And Ponyta has a Mild nature…I guess that explains it. Oh, and I guess it's another guy for me then."

"Either way, it'll probably get used to you in no time," said Cynthia. "A friend of mine had a male Ponyta too. His was a lot more aggressive though, so it took awhile before it let him touch it."

Dawn nodded and looked at her Ponyta. "Well then, we'll take it slow."

After returning her newly caught Pokémon back into its ball, Dawn took out her bike. Cynthia decided to fly again but Dawn rode up the slope via bicycle. They continued along Route 207 until a sign told them that they were now on Route 206. There was an impressive facility up ahead, where the sign read: Cycling Road. Dawn entered the building before Cynthia could voice her protest.

The first thing one would notice upon getting inside was the straight platform that led onto the bridge outside. Along the left side of the building was a bike garage. For a small fee, repairs could be made. On the right side were racks of old bicycles. A sign showed that they could be rented for a reasonable price. There were a few people inside at the moment; some were at one of the stations and others were resting on one of the benches or buying snacks at the vending machines.

Dawn began to walk around to get a better look. Cynthia trailed behind her quietly, eyeing the bicycles with partial contempt and partial longing. It was when the younger girl paused and looked back up at her that Cynthia snapped out of it.

"Sorry, did you say something?"

"Well, this is Cycling Road so I was thinking that you could rent a bike," answered Dawn. "It doesn't cost very much."

_That's great_. Cynthia looked mildly disdainful. "I haven't ridden a bike for years. We could just fly…"

"Oh, but that's no fun!" Dawn cried. "I want to see what Cycling Road is like!" As Cynthia exhaled and looked elsewhere, Dawn also added, "And since _I_ tried flying for _you_…I was hoping that we could do this together."

Judging by the way Cynthia briefly tensed, Dawn knew that she had played her cards right. Within the next few minutes, Cynthia had rented a bike and was now reluctantly climbing on. Grinning, Dawn got on _her_ bicycle and led the way onto the platform outside. Cynthia pedaled slowly behind the fourteen-year-old, trying to readjust her body. It _had_ been years—she wasn't exaggerating. She felt far less graceful than she'd ever been and she didn't like it; it took some time to get used to.

"Isn't it fun?" Dawn called back.

Cynthia tried mustering up one of her usual smiles, but failed. It came out more like a wince. "Oh, I'm sure…"

Dawn stopped along the side, watching as Cynthia pulled up next to her. "You don't seem that bad."

"…I think I just need to get used to it again," Cynthia replied, readjusting her glasses. "I'll be fine," She added.

Dawn smiled. "Okay…I just think that it's a nice change."

"From what, flying?"

"Well, yeah, that's for sure," Dawn answered. "But it's also fun to see you like this for once."

Cynthia frowned slightly. "And why's that?"

"You always seem to know what you're doing," replied Dawn. "This only proves that you're human," She said proudly.

Cynthia laughed. "This only proves that you're more evil than I thought."

"Oh, c'mon! _You_ tease _me_ all the time," Dawn muttered.

Cynthia brushed a few strands of hair out of her face. "I'd like to think that I can, but if you mind then…"

"It's not a problem!" Dawn answered quickly. "My best friend, Pearl, teases me a lot too."

Cynthia regained some of her usual demeanor. "Am I on par with your best friend then?"

"Eh, well…"

Before Dawn could answer, she was interrupted by a man's shout. She looked over the railing and sure enough, there was a man below. A few cyclists ahead paused a moment before shrugging and moving on. Dawn watched the man underneath the bridge. He was large and bearded, clad in hiking gear. She couldn't imagine why, because it didn't seem as if there were mountains nearby. He was sitting on the ground, clutching his foot.

"Are you okay?" Dawn called down.

The man looked up. "Yeah…hey, little miss…you mind giving me a hand here? I just busted my ankle!"

"Er—alright, we'll be right down!" Dawn replied. "J-just hang on!"

Cynthia looked at her in mild disbelief. No body else had bothered to care about the silly hiker. Dawn gave her a pleading look and no sooner after that, Cynthia found herself pedaling beside the younger girl off of Cycling Road. She left her bike with the receptionist (who looked annoyed) and went outside with Dawn. They took the path toward the right of the building and walked down the steps through the grass. The man was sitting along the path. When he saw Dawn and Cynthia approach, he brightened.

"Ah, thanks for coming, little miss!" He said jovially.

Dawn nodded. "It's okay, I—"

However, before she could finish her sentence, the man got to his feet. Dawn blinked while Cynthia sighed wearily. The man seemed unabashed as he dusted off his backside and readjusted his brown hat. Dawn looked at him incredulously for a moment before looking down at his feet. Other than his shoes being slightly worn out, there was absolutely nothing wrong with his foot. The man gave his beard a short stroke before explaining.

"Now, I don't want you to get the wrong idea here—"

Dawn interrupted him. "You lied!"

"Er, well, yes but…" He began.

Dawn was annoyed, but it was mainly at herself for believing him. "That wasn't funny!"

"Ah, little miss, don't be angry!" He said defensively. "I only wanted a battle!"

"What, you want a battle!?"

"All those, silly folk up there with their bikes," The hiker began harshly. "They don't appreciate the capabilities of their own two feet!" He glared up at the bridge. "I wanted to test them a bit you know, with a battle."

Dawn looked at him in disbelief. "What does battling have to do with walking or cycling?"

The hiker remained unembarrassed. "Of course they're related! Doing it the hard way builds character!" At the looks on Dawn and Cynthia's faces, he coughed and continued. "Er, I'm sorry for making you fuss but all I wanted was a battle, honest."

"You wasted our time," said Cynthia blandly.

The hiker shifted his walking stick uncomfortably. "B-but you were the only ones kind enough to care even if it _was_ a fib. How about I tell you something interesting if you win?"

Dawn sighed, scratching her head. "…Alright, since we're already here…"

The hiker regained his usual vigor and sent out his Pokémon eagerly, which was an Onix. Dawn took the opportunity to test Ponyta out. Due to the type disadvantage, she had to switch out with Luxio. The combined efforts of Ponyta and Luxio managed to subdue the man's Onix. Of course, now both of her Pokémon were injured considerably. Dawn only had Piplup remaining.

The hiker's last Pokémon turned out to be another Onix, which went down a lot easier than the previous one, now that Dawn was using Piplup. Despite his loss, the hiker looked excited and delighted. He handed over his money without a fuss and gave Dawn's hand a hearty shake. She winced slightly but the man gave no heed.

"That was most fun, little miss!" He said. "I'm glad to see that there are still kids out there training hard!"

Dawn shook her hand slightly. "Um, thanks, mister…"

"It's Theodore! No need for this 'mister' nonsense!"

"Oh, then I guess you can call me Dawn," The fourteen-year-old replied. The hiker nodded and glanced over at Cynthia, who reluctantly gave him her name. Dawn looked back at him curiously. "Uh, what was it that you wanted to tell us?"

Theodore pointed one of his thick fingers toward a cave in the distance. "Ah! You see that over there? That's the Wayward Cave!"

"Er…"

"Now, it's a fairly ordinary cave," He began. The hiker paused for a moment. "Though I heard that there are rare Pokémon in there sometimes…" He snapped out of it. "Anyway, lately there's been a strange sound inside."

Dawn was genuinely curious now. "A sound…?"

"That's right, and no body knows what it is!" Theodore explained. "Some people say that it's a Pokémon and some say that it's a ghost! A few have gone inside to look but…"

Dawn looked eager. "What happened to them?"

"The cave's awful dark so they don't go in too deep," He answered somewhat lamely. "People get lost in there all the time though, mind you."

Dawn nodded slowly. "I see…" She turned to Cynthia. "Do you want to…?"

"I don't mind, I guess." Cynthia sighed. "There's no stopping you anyway," She muttered.

Theodore looked excited. "Great! So you two are going to check it out, right? As I had expected of you!"

"You're not coming along, are you?" Dawn inquired.

The hiker laughed merrily. "Of course I am!"

"Actually, you ought to stay by the entrance," said Cynthia, causing the grin to fade from Theodore's face. "We can use your rope so that we don't get lost."

"Right, you can hold on to one end and me the other…" He muttered dejectedly.

They began making their way toward the cave. Dawn used her bike, Cynthia flew on Togekiss, and Theodore rode on his Onix. When they reached the entrance, they paused so that Theodore could lend them his gear. In accordance to their plan, Cynthia took hold of one end of the rope while Theodore held onto the other. He watched as she and Dawn walked into the cave. He had given them each a flashlight and a few bottles of Repel.

Dawn shined the flashlight in front of her and looked around. The cave was indeed dark; it was very difficult to see and the flashlights only gave them limited vision. Nevertheless, Dawn wanted to continue. There was an excitement about exploring a mysterious cave that she knew she couldn't pass up the chance. Eterna City would still be there when she was done. Hopefully, she would also be able to add to the Poké Dex. Unfortunately, there were no rare Pokémon at the moment, as the majority was Zubats and Geodudes. At most, Dawn saw an Onix or a Bronzor.

After awhile of walking, Cynthia paused. Dawn looked at the blonde curiously as she backtracked a few steps and began to tie the rope around one of the pointed rocks.

"Well, that's the limit of the rope," said Cynthia, getting up once she finished. "We'll have to find another way to mark where we've been."

Dawn picked up one of the smaller rocks. "How about we use this? We could draw something along the wall."

"I guess that'll work," answered Cynthia with a smile.

They continued along for awhile. Surprisingly, there were people in the cave. Many of them were Trainers who also decided to go exploring; most of them, however, were lost. Despite that, they were all happy to battle with Dawn, who only won after she expended a few more Potions and Super Potions. After battling, Dawn and Cynthia would point the way out of the cave while the Trainers gave them a bit of information on the odd noise.

According to the Trainers, there was something that sounded like it was crying somewhere down the tunnels. No body ever found it so no one knew what it was. Everyone either seemed frightened or curious. After her most recent match with a pair of picnickers, Dawn learned where they last heard the sound. Upon saying their good-bye, the picnickers left.

"What do you think it is?" Dawn asked finally as they took a break. It had been a few hours already.

Cynthia closed her water bottle. "It could be an echo or something. There are all sorts of noises in caves like this."

"Well, I hope we find it soon," answered Dawn. "I'm not sure I'll last much longer." She checked her bag and found only one Super Potion left.

"I still have some," said Cynthia. "You can use it if you like."

Dawn shook her head. "I can't use your things."

"You can pay me back so don't be silly," said Cynthia patiently. "You've won quite a bit of prize money already."

Dawn thought about it for a moment. "I guess you're right. I think I'm fine right now though."

"If you say so," answered Cynthia with a shrug.

"Oh! Do you want to see it?" Dawn began abruptly. "Your egg, I mean."

Cynthia watched as Dawn reached into her bag and carefully took out the Pokémon egg. She placed it in her lap and slowly drew her white scarf away, revealing the egg's red and blue patterns. Dawn held it gently and looked down at it fondly.

"I've been checking on it every night," She explained. "And I think I heard noises coming from it the other day!"

Cynthia smiled, glad that Dawn was so keen on it. "…It might be close to hatching soon."

"Wow, I can't wait to see it!" said Dawn brightly. "I've never seen a Pokémon hatching before."

"Well, look forward to it," answered Cynthia, drawing closer to examine the egg herself. "Mm, it _is_ close."

Dawn smiled. "Okay, I better keep it warm."

After she rewrapped the egg in her scarf, Dawn tucked it back into her bag. The two of them then decided to continue. Along the way, they noticed two men sneaking around the rocks, whispering excitedly to one another. One of them was a plump man in a white shirt, jeans, and glasses; the other was dressed in khaki and appeared to be some sort of archaeologist. As Dawn and Cynthia approached, the man with the glasses looked up.

"What are _you_ doing here?" He inquired haughtily. "You're not _lost_, are you?"

The archaeologist man looked up as well but quickly returned to whatever he was doing upon seeing them. "Hmph, go away. We don't have time to waste with you."

Dawn frowned, feeling quite annoyed. "That's kind of _rude_, don't you think?"

"Listen here, little girl," The man with glasses began. "We're adults doing very important things. If you're lost—"

"I'm _not_ lost!" Dawn replied heatedly. "We were just looking around!"

Cynthia placed her hand on the younger girl's shoulder. "Never mind them. Let's keep going."

Steering Dawn away from the two men, Cynthia continued along the tunnel. Alarmed, the man with glasses ran after them, with his companion at his heels. It was Cynthia's turn to be irritated. She looked back at them coldly. "_Yes_?"

"You're not going this way, are you?" The collector inquired, huffing.

"Yes, we are. Is something wrong?" Cynthia replied coolly.

The ruin maniac looked her up and down. "This is _our_ find! I suggest you leave!"

"What are you talking about?" Dawn began angrily.

The collector chortled. "Oh, now I get it! _You_ want to find the rare Pokémon, don't you? Well, too bad! _We're_ already searching for it!"

"Fine, how about we have a battle?" Cynthia suggested as Dawn opened her mouth to say something. "If we lose then we'll leave. If we win then _you_ leave."

The ruin maniac raised an eyebrow. "A waste of—"

"We're wasting more time arguing," replied Cynthia. "And if this will get you to go then I'm up for it."

Dawn blinked and looked at the older woman. "You're actually gonna—"

"Okay, fine! What can you possibly do anyway?" The collector sniffed. He took out a Poké Ball and sent out a small, blue-gray, dragon-like creature with a wide mouth and round eyes.

His companion decided to use a Bronzor. Both men eyed Cynthia skeptically. She simply smiled and looked at Dawn. "Well, good luck."

_I knew it was too good to be true._ Dawn sighed. Nevertheless, with or without Cynthia, she knew that she could probably handle this herself. She checked out the collector's Pokémon with her Poké Dex. He snorted at first but then gasped at the sight of the device. His expression was one of utter fixation.

"Hey, when we win, give me that!" He said suddenly.

Dawn frowned and put the Poké Dex away. "'When you win'? I—"

"Deal," interrupted Cynthia. "But if Dawn wins, then you have to give _us_ something in return."

The man sneered. "Sure, I'll give you whatever…_if _you can _really_ win."

Dawn looked at Cynthia disbelievingly. She couldn't lose the Poké Dex! However, Cynthia only responded with a smile. Dawn didn't know whether to feel encouraged or pressured. Maybe the older woman was expecting too much of her. While she _did_ heal her Pokémon not too long ago, she was still getting used to double battles. Despite winning her previous matches, her Pokémon ended up more injured than usual. However, as she looked back at the collector's stuck-up expression and the ruin maniac's bored one, she couldn't help but feel motivated.

"Alright, you said it!" Dawn sent out Ponyta and Luxio. She found that speed was mostly essential to winning so she decided to act first. "Ponyta, use Ember at Bronzor! Luxio, Bite Gibble!"

"Gibble, use Dragon Rage!"

"Bronzor, Confusion!"

***

"Why, thank you."

"That's not—"

The ruin maniac jabbed his companion's arm and jerked his head in the other direction. Giving in, the collector followed his partner sullenly. He cast one last resentful look at Dawn before walking away.

Following through with their prearranged deal, the collector had to give Dawn all of the Potions/Super Potions that he was carrying on him. Not only did he have to do that, he and the ruin maniac had to endure the embarrassment of getting their clocks cleaned by a fourteen-year-old. Dawn celebrated her hard won victory with satisfaction. It wasn't easy but Piplup pulled through for her in the end. Luxio was knocked out during the first session because of the collector's Gibble, but Ponyta managed to defeat the ruin maniac's Bronzor. However, when the ruin maniac sent out his Geodude, Ponyta was down for the count. Thanks to Piplup's type advantage against both enemies' Pokémon, Dawn managed to pull through with a victory.

"You planned this, didn't you?" said Dawn with a grin.

Cynthia laughed shortly. "I don't think so. There were times during the match when I was worried."

"Either way, I guess you solved my supply problem," replied Dawn brightly.

Cynthia smiled. "That was the idea."

"Well, they did act like a bunch of jerks," said Dawn. "I can't really feel sorry at all."

"They did let us know something though," answered Cynthia.

Dawn looked at her inquiringly. "What's that?"

"What we need to find is somewhere down that tunnel."

Dawn peered down the dark path, using her flashlight to shine a beam of light along the walls. With a nod, she followed Cynthia through the tunnel. Eager to see what the source of the noise is, Dawn was highly disappointed when they came faced with a pile of rubble. There were considerable gaps at the top but the rocks made it difficult for anyone to get across to the other side.

"It's caved in," She sighed. "How could we get through?"

Cynthia looked thoughtful. "Maybe we might be able to shift away some of the rocks. It looks fairly—"

An abrupt moan drowned out the rest of Cynthia's words. The noise sounded eerie as it resonated throughout the tunnel. It certainly was difficult to determine whether it belonged to a human or a Pokémon. Cynthia stood still, as if waiting for whoever—or whatever, that made the noise to show itself.

Dawn gulped and then slowly called out. "H-hello…?"

There was a momentary pause, and then suddenly, they heard the sound again; this time, it seemed to be saying something else. Dawn looked over at Cynthia with a mixture of excitement and anxiety. "I think that it might understand us. It can't be an echo."

"Then…" Cynthia began slowly.

"We _have_ to see," said Dawn firmly. "It sounds like it's in pain…or something."

With a nod, Cynthia took out a Poké Ball. Dawn blinked in surprise. Cynthia smiled. "I'd rather not dig through all of this, if you don't mind."

There was brief flash of light before the space beside them was occupied by Togekiss. The creature gave Cynthia its usual happy greeting as it hovered in place. She gestured toward the pile of rocks and it seemed to understand instantly. Using Psychic, the Pokémon easily levitated the debris elsewhere, clearing the path without a fuss. Once Togekiss finished, Cynthia gave it a grateful pat on the head before returning it to its ball.

"Is that all you use your Pokémon for?" Dawn asked in amusement. "Travel and work?"

Cynthia readjusted her glasses. "I don't need to battle," She said lightly. "Now let's go check this out."

As they walked along the tunnel, there was the noise again. However, it was much clearer; it sounded like a voice. Past more and rocks, it became apparent that whatever was making the sound was definitely not a Pokémon. This prompted Dawn and Cynthia to hurry. Dawn was right, it sounded injured. Clearing away the final bits of rock, the figure of a person came into view.

It was a girl.

* * *

**A/N:** Again, sorry for the late update. I'm not too keen about this chapter but I aim to improve things once we move back to Eterna. Be critical if you must! I make no promises but I _will_ try to make it up with a faster update. Thanks, everyone!

_Next_: _Another rescue? It's finally back to Eterna City! Gardenia's been busy…_


	11. Eterna: Return Trip

**A/N:** Okay, I'm a total douche bag. And I'm not about to improve. Terrible update speed. Not much better than last time, is it? School's starting soon so I'll probably have even _more_ time to procrastinate. =___=

_Nhame_ - Take Down was eh...I really just wanted to get that battle over with. :/ And I the Pokémon's nature was just picked for fun, ha. I just thought I'd include it.  
_Sora-Hikari_ - I'm just glad you still bothered to review! oAo Anyway, I totally laughed at your Ponyta comment. XD  
_Magmarshi_ - Oh, a new face! Thanks a lot, man (woman?). It means a lot when you tell me these things. Honestly! X3  
_Amigo Dude_ - No way! I can't give up on this--it's for the sake of giving more GirlPowerShipping to the community! Anyway, Cynthia will definitely have more problems, yes. As for Mira, she's not my fav stat Trainer but I'll try to do her justice. It's hard!  
_Miko_ - Yeah, I thought nature was kinda important. Well, here's Mira and the conclusion to Wayward Cave. :B  
_Dux_ - Ha, ha. I hope I did Cheryl & Gardenia justice. It was pretty fun writing this chapter because of them. X3 Er, and the Gible thing…ha, no. That'd be too mean to the man.  
_Nartog_ - Wow, you still tried to read this while on vacation? XD Thanks, dude. And I haven't thought about Snowpoint yet, but you're right.  
_Yasetsu_ - Lol. Charmander in Sinnoh? Anyway, thanks for stopping by. :3

Anyway, everybody liked Cynthia vs. Bicycle for some reason. Do you people _like_ it when she suffers? Er, besides that, Dawn won't get a Gible. That's a popular theme too to seems. Well, on with the chapter!

* * *

**  
Chapter 10  
**

"H-hey, you're…"

The girl looked over when she heard Dawn's voice. She smiled weakly in response. The girl seemed in a right state. Her normally white clothes were dirty and torn here and there. Her rosy hair was tousled. There were a few scrapes and cuts along her limbs; her left foot also seemed to be bent in an odd position. She seemed weary and tired.

Dawn ran over and knelt down beside the girl. "We'll get you out of here, don't worry."

"Who…?"

Wrapping the younger girl's arms around her neck, Dawn slowly got up, acting as a means of support. She looked over at Cynthia, who nodded. The blonde took out her Togekiss again so that Dawn could help the girl abroad. In an odd sort of formation, the trio began their journey out of the cave. Along the way, Dawn continually glanced over at the rosy-haired girl, who was curled up on Togekiss with her eyes closed. Questions would probably have to come later.

Following the signs that they had left behind previously, it didn't take too long to travel back out of the cave. Cynthia was privately relieved. She had expected the collector and the ruin maniac to be sore losers; she figured that they might have sabotaged their little markings as they left. For once, Cynthia was glad that she was wrong.

By the time that they got back outside, the sky was dark. Theodore was sitting with his back against the cave entrance with the rope held limply in his hands; he appeared to be dozing off. Cynthia tapped her foot softly against his leg, jerking him awake. He looked eager when he saw Dawn and Cynthia but his eyes gradually trailed toward their companion. The hiker's face turned white.

"By thunder…is she…?"

Cynthia shook her head. "No, she'll be alright if we get her some help."

"We have to go back to the Cycling Road station!" said Dawn urgently. "It's closest!"

Theodore nodded firmly. "Yeah, I think there's a clinic…"

With the hiker joining their party, the trio began heading back down the path. Once they approached the building, Cynthia lowered the girl off of Togekiss, allowing Dawn to support her as before. Theodore held the door open for them as they entered. People inside immediately turned to stare.

"This girl needs help!" said Dawn to the nearest receptionist.

The man blinked in surprise. "Oh, right, of course! Bring her around this way!"

Dawn went after him as he indicated to a side door. Inside the extra room were two beds, a small TV, a large shelf, and a wooden table with papers on top. The man indicated to one of the beds, prompting Dawn to set the girl down. She did and immediately turned to explain. However, the man was already grabbing down a first aid kit from the nearby shelf. He went beside them and pulled up a chair before getting to work.

"We found her in Wayward Cave," Dawn began, looking from the man to the girl. "I think she's been trapped there for awhile."

The man was checking out the girl's left foot. "Well, it's a good thing you found her. With her ankle broken, I don't think she could've done anything to get out."

"You'll be able to help her, right?" Dawn inquired anxiously.

The man smiled grimly. "I'm no doctor but I can at least try. She'll need to go to a real clinic." He pointed to the phone on the table. "Do you think you can call the hospital in Oreburgh?"

Dawn nodded and walked over to the desk. Looking at the list of emergency numbers, she punched in the one for the hospital.

Outside, Cynthia was sitting on a bench with Theodore. While he looked rather restless, she remained placid. The hiker looked over at her with a mixture of surprise and admiration. She was drinking water!

"Aren't you worried?" He asked.

Cynthia closed the cap on the bottle. "It's not up to us now. We did what we could already. There's no sense in worrying." Her tone was not one of indifference; she was merely making a statement. "We just have to wait and see."

Theodore closed his mouth and took to twiddling his thumbs. Awhile later, they heard the sound of a car approaching. There were sounds of doors slamming and a second after, two people in white entered with a stretcher. They entered the side room and came out with the girl. The man had done his best to set her foot and gave her antiseptic for her cuts. Dawn had also managed to clean the girl up a little; she looked less roughed up.

"So?" Theodore began, getting to his feet and looking at Dawn. "They'll handle it?"

Dawn nodded. "I think she'll be okay." However, she turned to Cynthia. "But I think we ought to check."

Cynthia readjusted her glasses. "You mean, follow them back to Oreburgh…?"

"We….we could fly," answered Dawn slowly. "I-it'll be faster."

Cynthia examined her for a moment. "Okay, let's go."

"Hey, I—" Theodore began.

"Sorry, but we'll have to say good-bye here," said Dawn. "Thanks a lot for helping us out."

Cynthia looked at him patiently. "You wanted to know what the weird noise was, right? It was just her calling for help. She was deep in the tunnel so the sound just got distorted."

Theodore laughed slightly. "Well, I'm glad you went along with all this…" His expression lightened. "Tell you what, keep one of the flashlights. You know, in honor of our meeting!"

Dawn smiled and handed him back her flashlight. "Thanks a lot, Theodore. We'll see you then!"

Bidding the hiker a farewell, Dawn and Cynthia went outside. Cynthia took out her Togekiss again and stroked its head. _The only thing I'm _not_ using you for is battling it seems…_ Cynthia turned to Dawn, who suddenly looked stiff. Mounting her Pokémon, she held out her hand to the younger girl with a smile. Dawn looked at Cynthia's hand reproachfully for a second but took it nonetheless.

"This was your idea," The blonde reminded her.

Dawn frowned. "I know… I'll—I'll get used to this!"

With that said, they took to the skies. Dawn's stomach gave an uncomfortable lurch; again, she chose not to look down. Luckily, they did not have very far to travel. Within minutes they were back in Oreburgh City and in front of its hospital.

They both got off and entered. Inside was mainly white—as expected. After a moment of talking to the woman at the counter, they found out where the girl was staying. As they walked toward her room, a doctor and a nurse exited. Dawn looked at the doctor expectantly.

"Is…is she okay?" She asked.

The doctor smiled at her kindly. "Yes, it was just a broken ankle and a few cuts. We patched her up right away." He thought about it for a moment before continuing. "She just needs a bit of food and water that's all."

"You can go visit her if you like," added the nurse. "I think that she's awake now."

Dawn nodded and gave her thanks before entering the room. The girl had been cleaned up properly and given a change of clothes. She was wearing a set of children's patient attire with Cranidos prints on them. Her rosy hair was let loose around her shoulders. When she caught sight of Dawn, the girl's face broke out into a weary smile.

"Oh! It's you!" She exclaimed. "You helped me, didn't you?"

Dawn scratched her head. "I think Cynthia did more than I did but…"

"What's your name?" asked the girl, paying no attention to what Dawn had just said. "I'm Mira!"

The fourteen-year-old pulled up a seat beside the bed. "Nice to meet you, Mira, I'm Dawn."

"Dawn…" The girl repeated slowly. Then she smiled. "Mira want to be like you when Mira grow up!"

"Er…" Dawn didn't exactly know what to make of that. "Um, thanks? Uh, I was wondering what you were doing down there in the first place…"

Mira looked thoughtful. "Hm…Mira was…exploring. Mira heard that there were rare Pokémon. Then…"

"You got lost?" said Dawn.

The younger girl nodded slowly. "Rocks started falling down and Mira was trapped… It was scary being alone…"

"Were you afraid of the dark?" Dawn began gently. "You went in pretty deep."

Mira's features brightened. "The dark isn't a problem for Mira! Kadabra can light up caves with Flash!"

"Kadabra?" Dawn repeated. "That's your Pokémon, right? How come you didn't use it to escape?"

Mira pursed her lips. "Mira was battling…" Slowly, she added, "…And Mira ran out of Potions…"

Dawn smiled. "That almost happened to me," She admitted. "So you battle huh?"

"That's right!" Mira exclaimed brightly. "Mira might not look like it, but Mira is pretty good!"

Dawn got to her feet. "Well, when you make a full recovery, why don't we battle if we see each other again?"

"…No one ever challenges Mira," said the rosy-haired girl. "They don't take Mira seriously…"

Dawn laughed slightly. "You know, I became a Trainer when I was thirteen—and I just turned fourteen not too long ago." She filled Mira a glass of water. "If you're already battling then you'll get even stronger when you're older!"

Mira took the glass and smiled. "Mira knew that you were a good person! Mira will definitely find you again, Dawn!"

"Mm, I'll be waiting!" Dawn replied. "I'll see you, alright? Get some rest!"

Bidding Mira a good-night, Dawn exited the room, closing the door behind her. She smiled to herself as she walked back out to the front desk. Her eyes found Cynthia quickly, who was sitting by the vending machines. As she approached the older woman, Cynthia got to her feet.

"So? How is she?"

"She's fine," answered Dawn. "The doctor said that she'll be alright after some food and sleep."

Cynthia smiled. "That's good to hear."

"…Oh, but we couldn't go to Eterna," Dawn began slowly. "If I didn't…"

Cynthia half-shrugged, readjusting her glasses. "If you didn't want to go then that girl would still be stuck inside Wayward Cave." She looked at Dawn with a faint smile. "There's no need to rush through your journey, is there? It's best to enjoy it."

Dawn found herself smiling. "Un!"

***

The next morning, Dawn paid Mira a brief visit (she couldn't—Mira was asleep) before she left with Cynthia. To her dismay, Cynthia concluded that they had already used up too much time in Wayward Cave; her only solution was to fly to Eterna City. It was only when Dawn brought up what Cynthia had said the previous night about 'enjoying the journey', that the blonde gave up. After a hasty breakfast and a bit of flying (Cynthia insisted that they at least fly _to_ Cycling Road), they were back to where they were before. Once again, Cynthia was forced back on a rented bicycle.

"I hope you're enjoying this," She said reproachfully, pedaling a little bit behind the younger girl.

Dawn grinned. "Hey, we _flew_ here!"

As they rode down Cycling Road, Dawn was challenged by a couple of cyclists. Compared to double battling, Dawn found that standard one-on-one battles were a lot easier. Her experience in Wayward Cave made the cyclists seem almost like nothing; it sort of proved Theodore right—_just_ sort of.

Her victories made things twice as fun. She occasionally checked back on Cynthia, who hadn't said much. Despite her initial complaints (and the fact that they were going uphill), Cynthia seemed like she was doing fine. Like she said, it only took some getting used to. Of course, it didn't stop Dawn from taking the opportunity to poke fun at her as they took a break.

"Are you tired?" The fourteen-year-old asked with a grin.

Cynthia brushed some loose strands of hair out of her eyes. "I'm not an old woman, you know."

"You're older than _I_ am," said Dawn, smiling. "And technically, I don't know your age."

Cynthia sighed, readjusting her glasses. "I'm twenty-two, alright? Now can we please just go? This senior citizen can't handle anymore ridicule."

Dawn giggled. "Yes, ma'm."

After awhile of pedaling and battling, Dawn and Cynthia were on the other side. Cynthia returned her rental bike and followed Dawn back to the city. Everything seemed just the way it was from the last time were there. The Gym seemed fine, but they decided to come by later. They just stopped at the Poké Mart to restock. As they passed the Cycle Shop, Dawn lingered, but Cynthia dragged her away, telling her to come back some other time. Shortly after making a trip at the Pokémon Center, they agreed to continue walking around.

When they got near the Eterna Galactic Building, it was clear that this was one of the places that _had_ changed. There were fewer goons patrolling outside, which Dawn found odd. When she voiced this to Cynthia, the older woman seemed unsurprised.

"They probably got wind of what happened at Valley Windworks," She began, folding her arms. "Like that man, Charon, said—they got what they needed."

"So you think they all went somewhere else?" Dawn inquired.

Cynthia looked thoughtful. "Yes…and no. Somebody has to stay back and watch this area."

"Maybe we should…" Dawn began slowly, looking at the Galactic building hopefully.

Cynthia quickly put her foot down on the idea. "I don't think so. You're not picking another fight with Team Galactic. We're not the police."

"You were involved too! Besides, two of their administrators know us already," Dawn reasoned. "And we already know that the police aren't doing anything."

Cynthia remained quiet. This was what she had discussed with Looker back at the Mining Museum. He hadn't really given her a satisfying conclusion either. They simply resolved to continue their investigation in _stealth_; anything as of now was insufficient. Still, Cynthia did not like the idea of Dawn running around getting involved. Even though she had demonstrated that she could defeat a few Galactic goons, she was biting off more than she could chew. The whole affair with Mars was a lot more dangerous than Cynthia first realized.

"No," She said flatly. "As long as they don't do anything public, _we_ won't either." As Dawn opened her mouth to argue, Cynthia added, "Everything's quiet, see? If you like, we can ask Gardenia."

Their feet somehow carried them to the statue of the ancient Pokémon. Dawn sighed and gave Cynthia a nod, her eyes shifting over to the stone figure. She knew that she was probably being a little silly for thinking that she should investigate Team Galactic, but something told her otherwise. What that man, the detective, said to her back in Jubilife City was still on her mind. Maybe it had something to do with being confined to her small town for so long, but Dawn really wanted to know more—about everything, really. If there was something going on with Team Galactic, the big-shot power company, she wanted to know what it was. By what she had seen so far, they weren't exactly model citizens. _Professor Rowan gave me Pokémon for a reason. I have to use it correctly!_

"Dawn?"

The fourteen-year-old looked over at her companion. "Huh? What is it?"

"Don't do anything reckless."

Dawn blinked. Was what she was thinking show up on her face? Or could Cynthia read minds? Either way, she mustered up a smile. "I know, don't worry!"

"…Alright. It's a little past one," said Cynthia, glancing at her watch. "Do you want to have some lunch? Then maybe we could visit the Gym."

Upon agreeing, Dawn followed Cynthia to a nearby café. Ironically, it was the one that Dawn had previously visited when she was staking out the Galactic Building. After their meal, they began walking toward the Eterna Gym. Along the way, Dawn took another glance at the Cycle Shop. _I wonder how that kid's doing. I have to give him back his bike…_ Dawn froze at the thought. _Wait…then…won't I have to fly!?_ She quickly looked at Cynthia, who noticed before Dawn could turn away.

"What's wrong?" She inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Dawn shook her head. "Um, nothing!"

"…Mm-hm…" said Cynthia, unconvinced. "If you keep looking at me like _that_, I might get funny _ideas_."

Dawn flushed slightly. "W-what? It's not—I'm not—"

Cynthia simply laughed. "You do realize that this is for the bike thing, right?"

"H-hey! That's not fair!" Dawn sputtered, realizing that Cynthia was just evening the score.

"Oh?" Cynthia answered, suppressing the desire to continue laughing. "In any case, we're here. You'll have to try and get me back later."

Indeed, they were in front of the Gym's sliding glass door. Giving Cynthia one last disgruntled look, Dawn entered the building. The girl whom she had battled the last time took notice of her. The brunette waved and motioned for Dawn to come closer; her attitude had certainly changed, which Dawn took note of.

"So you're back, huh?"

Dawn scratched her head. "Well, yeah…I needed to! So I guess I'll have to battle you again—"

"Sorry, but there's kind of no point," answered the girl. "You wouldn't get to battle the Gym Leader anyway. We're just here to look after the plants right now."

Dawn blinked. "Eh…what happened to Gardenia? Did Team Galactic—"

"Team Galactic? No way!" The girl giggled. "Our Gym Leader's been doing someone a favor."

"Are you talking about Gardenia?" One of the other Gym Trainers approached the two of them.

Dawn looked over at the woman, who was holding a watering can. "Um, do you know when she'll be back?"

"It's hard to say," replied the woman. "I've never seen her so happy. Honestly, she seems borderline obsessed!"

The brown-haired girl giggled again. "I think it's kind of sweet…"

"What are you talking about!?" Dawn cried, growing tired of all the mysterious hints. She quickly recollected herself. "Um, that is…I'd really like a battle…so…"

"Well, since you left, she's been seeing that woman you were with," answered the aroma lady, apparently unfazed by Dawn's outburst.

Dawn blinked a few times, and then felt her mouth open. "Ch-Cheryl…? See as in—"

"Oh heavens, no," said the woman, causing the brown-haired girl to look disheartened. "She's ill."

A look of concern replaced Dawn's surprise. "Cheryl? But I thought that it was her aunt who was sick."

"Gardenia said that she got sick while she was tending to her," explained the brown-haired girl.

The aroma lady nodded. "Our Gym Leader wanted to thank her for refereeing your match, so she decided to pay that Cheryl woman a visit," She sniffed. "Then she got roped into playing nurse."

"It's called doing someone a _favor_!" The girl said defensively. "Besides, you know Gardenia!"

The woman sighed. "Oh that's right. She doesn't mind visiting because that Cheryl's aunt has got a rare flower in her home."

Dawn distinctly remembered an odd pink flower set on the counter. It didn't look very special to _her_ when she stayed there. She smiled, finding it funny that Gardenia would get worked up over it. Honestly, by what these two were saying, they were making Cheryl the one who Gardenia was fixated with.

"Um, well…thanks," She said finally. "I'll go and pay them visit. Thanks for telling me."

Bidding the two females a good-bye, Dawn returned outside to find Cynthia along one of the nearby benches. She got up as Dawn approached. The fourteen-year-old quickly filled her in on the details of her conversation. When she was finished, Cynthia agreed to go with her to Cheryl's.

"Since we're going to the condominiums," Cynthia began. "I could get us a place to stay while I'm at it."

Dawn nodded. "Okay, if you don't mind me staying…"

"You might be bothering them," answered Cynthia. "So you may as well keep me company."

The trip to Eterna Condominiums was a short one. While Cynthia busied herself over the lobby with the receptionist, Dawn took the stairs up to the second floor. She counted down as she passed by the doors. When she reached her destination, Dawn pushed a button on the wall panel. A few minutes later, she heard Gardenia's voice through the panel's miniature speaker.

"Yeah, who is it?"

Dawn smiled. "Um, hey…it's me, Dawn. Can I come—?"

Before Dawn could finish, the door slid open, revealing an excited-looking woman with auburn hair standing in the door way. The Gym Leader was not in her usual outfit, which Dawn had grown accustomed to seeing. Gardenia quickly stepped aside and welcomed the fourteen-year-old in, as if it were her own home. Dawn found it rather amusing actually, and made to voice this, but Gardenia kept the door open. She looked outside in the hall for a moment before letting the door slide shut.

"Uh, what are you looking for?" Dawn inquired.

Gardenia laughed slightly. "Oh, nothing!" She looked back at the younger girl with a smile. "Anyway, I know why you're here. How's it going?"

"Well, I got a Coal Badge in Oreburgh City," answered Dawn proudly. "And I caught another Pokémon!"

Gardenia's smile widened. "Great! Do you think you can win now? I'm not like ol' Roark you know."

"I'll try," Dawn replied firmly. "I've improved too!"

Gardenia nodded. "That's the way to do it." She motioned over to the living room and took a seat on the couch. "I'll probably be back by today."

Dawn sat down opposite her. "Um, so are Cheryl and her aunt okay?"

"Oh, yeah…they'll be fine! It's just the bad case of the flu, that's all," answered Gardenia, looking fondly down at the flower on the coffee table. "Her aunt passed it on to her."

Dawn scratched her head. "And she still tried to take care of her aunt while she sick too?"

"Well, with old folk, it's hard. Somebody has to do it!" Gardenia replied with a shrug. "I stopped by to thank her and found her like that. Then I thought, 'hey, best way to repay a favor'!"

Dawn was reminded of her conversation in the Gym. "So it's not for the flower?" Giggling, she also added, "Or Cheryl?"

"What? Of course not!" Gardenia began defensively. "I have plenty of flowers back at the Gym!" However, she looked back at the plant on the table. "But this _is_ a fairly rare type. It doesn't really grow in these parts… I wonder if she got them from Floaroma… It's been awhile since I've—"

Dawn suppressed the urge to laugh. "Um…"

"Oh, right…uh, yeah…" said Gardenia, snapping out of her plant monologue. "Anyway, I told you! I thought that I'd pay Cheryl back for helping me out at the Gym."

Dawn smiled and nodded. "So she's better now, right?"

"Yep, her aunt's fine," answered Gardenia. "I just stopped by because it's hard for her to move around. Cheryl said that she should be fine after today. She's loads better now."

Having said that, the Gym Leader turned around at the sudden noise in the hallway; Dawn looked over too. Walking towards them feverishly was viridian-haired woman in a white night dress and an olive-colored hooded jacket over her shoulders. She was slightly paler than she is normally, sporting a look of mild drowsiness.

Gardenia got up automatically and circled around the couch within five seconds. "What are you doing out of bed? I can't come back here every day, you know!"

Cheryl laughed weakly. "I heard Dawn's…" She coughed slightly. "…voice."

"Um, you don't have to see me, Cheryl!" The fourteen-year-old exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "You're still sick!"

Gardenia grabbed her companion's arm lightly. "You heard her! C'mon! You were getting better too. Do you want to make it worse?"

"…Ah, I'm sorry…" Cheryl answered, suppressing another cough. "Thanks…for visiting, Dawn."

Dawn nodded in response as Gardenia led Cheryl back inside her room. Once she reemerged, Dawn saw her peak into the room next door. Figuring that the person inside, Cheryl's aunt, was fine, Gardenia returned to the living room. She sighed and smiled at the younger girl.

"Well, you saw her," The Gym Leader shrugged.

Dawn returned her smile. "She's lucky. You seem to be doing a good job taking care of her."

"Yeah well, maybe she'll think about giving me a constellation prize?" said Gardenia, looking at the flower on the table hopefully.

Dawn laughed. "I knew it."

"Hey, hey! I'm doing this with good intentions!" Gardenia replied defensively. "I really do want them to get better you know!"

Dawn nodded, but she couldn't wipe the smile off of her face. "What about the Gym battle?"

"Don't worry," Gardenia answered firmly. "Come by in the morning at ten. I'll battle you all you like!"

With that promise in mind, Dawn bid Gardenia a good night and left. _I guess she'll stay there a bit longer…_ Dawn thought, watching the door close. She suddenly thought about Cynthia. _Uh-oh…I don't know what room she's in!_ A mild sense of panic rose within her but Dawn quickly snapped out of it and made her way back down to the lobby. After asking the receptionist about the blonde, Dawn ended up going upstairs again. _Too weird…_ Cynthia was just in one of the other rooms down the hall, past Cheryl's aunt's place.

When Dawn pushed the button, it didn't take long for the door to open. The blonde was standing in front of her in a black dress shirt with matching black slippers; besides for her undergarments, yes, that was it. While her hair remained firmly tied up, her glasses were off. Dawn blinked a few times; her hand automatically jumped to her cheek, which felt mildly warm. Cynthia looked at her questioningly, stepping aside to let the younger girl in.

"Is something wrong? You took a long time," said Cynthia. "I hope your friend's condition isn't serious."

Dawn entered slowly as the door slid shut behind her. "Um, no…she's fine!"

"I'm glad," said Cynthia lightly. "Why don't you drop your things off? You can have the spare room. This is my place so just relax."

"Yours…?" Dawn repeated.

Cynthia nodded. "Oh, I don't _live_ here. It's just somewhere I can stay when I visit Western Sinnoh."

"Wow…" said Dawn. "That means that you're from pretty far away."

Cynthia shrugged slightly. "A little bit." She smiled. "But enough of that. Just get some rest, okay?"

Dawn nodded and watched as the older woman walked off. _I really need to get some sleep._ She decided, following suit. Her room looked like it had never been used. It led her to believe that Cynthia must not have had too many guests. That raised up another fine point. She didn't _really_ have any idea who Cynthia was. It was kind of odd, as they were now traveling partners. Dawn didn't want to nose around in other people's business, but she did feel a bit disheartened that she knew so little about her companion; especially when Cynthia had helped her out on more than one occasion already.

"Maybe I'm thinking too much," She murmured aloud.

After finishing up with the nightly rituals of cleaning up, Dawn was ready for bed; though as she sat on the mattress, she was examining the Pokémon egg. It was quite warm now and emitted odd noises from time to time. If Dawn looked at it enough, she could've sworn that she saw it move.

Tucking it back into her bag, Dawn laid down with a yawn. She smiled faintly at the thought of her conversation with Cynthia back in Wayward Cave. Hopefully, within the next few nights, the egg would finally hatch…

***

The next morning, Dawn woke up to find that Cynthia had already gone. The blonde had left a note saying that she will be off doing her own thing for the day. A little disappointed, Dawn found some cereal and had her breakfast. It was still early so she decided to go ahead and stop by the Cycle Shop. She had considered visiting Cheryl, but thought against disturbing her while the woman was still recovering.

Outside, Dawn began her walk to the Cycle Shop. Everything seemed quiet, but she noticed that people were whispering to each other a lot, sharing excited conversations. With no one to voice her observations to, Dawn had to pass by them quietly. She managed to catch bits and pieces here and there.

"…Team Galactic…!"

"Yeah, did you see…?"

"…know what they're doing…"

"…Commander Jupiter…and that Mars…"

At the last comment, Dawn couldn't contain herself. She whirled around and looked at a particularly round woman who was gossiping away with her friend. The two of them looked mildly alarmed at the fourteen-year-old girl's sudden change in direction.

"Um, sorry, but what were you saying?" She asked curiously. "Something…something about the Team Galactic Commanders…?"

The woman looked at her for a moment then beamed. "Oh, aren't you cute? Are you a Trainer?"

"…Un, that's right," Dawn answered, trying to sound polite. This woman was talking to her like she was five. "I…was wondering if you could tell me…"

The woman laughed. "You don't watch the news, I expect. Team Galactic announced that they'll withdraw from the west."

"What?" Dawn exclaimed, ignoring the first part. "But…why?"

The woman's companion interjected. "Well, that's the topic for gossip, isn't it? No body _knows_ why!"

"That's right. They gave ownership of the Eterna branch to one of the other companies," added the plump woman. "Went and sold it."

Dawn's mind was swirling with thoughts. While she did watch the news in the past, she was a lot busier now; it was hard to catch up with current events; though she did recall hearing that Team Galactic wished to expand into Western Sinnoh. It had taken them awhile and had cost quite a bit, but they had bought out one of the power companies in Eterna. Business-goers everywhere were calling it risky, and pricey, but they generally approved of the gamble. For since then, Team Galactic had slowly begun spreading its influence throughout the western region. Dawn didn't need to be a business man to know that Team Galactic selling out its western branch was a silly thing to do. Her mind jumped to what Charon had said. _They got what they needed._

"Are you alright?" The hefty woman asked, peering into Dawn's face. "You look a bit pale, dear."

Dawn shook her head. "No, I'm fine, thank you."

Hurrying away from the two women, Dawn hopped on her bike. However, she went right past the Cycle Shop and headed straight for the Eterna Galactic Building. She pulled to a stop by the café and looked at the building ahead. There was a giant truck parked nearby. Whatever remaining goons were loading boxes abroad. Overseeing their progress was a woman with plum-colored hair, arranged in a peculiar fashion. Her uniform told Dawn that she was one of the Team Galactic Commanders. Dawn guessed that she was 'Jupiter'. Indeed, she distinctly heard one of the grunts address the woman as so.

Jupiter seemed to be in a rather foul mood. It was clear that she did not really take to moving. To make matters worse, the doors slid open behind her to reveal another woman. This one had red-hair; Mars. Dawn quickly picked up a magazine and made herself look busy. Blood began rushing to her face, a result of the adrenaline leaking into her veins. _I need to hear what they're saying!_

Making up her decision, Dawn circled around the side of the café and navigated along in the back. After a moment or so, she found herself next to the fence she had crossed before. Luckily, there was a shortage of men; whoever that remained was busy. Dawn climbed over easily and went along the side of the Galactic Building, careful to stay hidden in the bushes. It seemed like a miracle, but everyone seemed to be too preoccupied to notice anything strange.

"…then we'll leave," Dawn heard Mars say.

From her position, Dawn couldn't see Jupiter's expression, but her tone was stiff. "Good, the sooner, the better."

"Oh, you're not _angry_, are you?" Mars drawled. Dawn could imagine her smirking. "That Master Cyrus no longer needs this place? That he doesn't need you here to play queen anymore?"

On the contrary, Jupiter sounded confident when she replied. "Master Cyrus knows who he can rely on, Mars. See, unlike you, I didn't _need_ to be supervised." She mocked thinking. "Oh, and about that… Let's see…you got your _ass_ handed to you by a kid, right?"

"…You…"

Jupiter's tone was triumphant. "Hmph, it's a bit too early for you to be playing with _me_, Mars." There was a pause. "Why don't you go see if everything's packed?"

Dawn heard the door slide open, followed by footsteps. She guessed that it was Mars storming off. Figuring that it was time for her to leave, Dawn quietly began to shuffle back out of the bushes. However, half-way through her retreat, Dawn felt a hand clamp down on her shoulder. It was her second time being grabbed in this place, and this time, it sure as hell wasn't Cynthia.

"Are you going somewhere?"

Jupiter was staring down at her with a sneer. Dawn struggled to get out of her grip, scrambling to her feet. The violet-haired woman lunged forward and seized Dawn's bag, holding her back.

"Let go!"

"Ha, I don't think so!"

Out of options, Dawn did the first thing she could think of: kick the woman in the shins. Jupiter recoiled at the sudden impact, releasing her hold on Dawn's bag. Taking the opportunity, Dawn made a break for it, tearing across the yard. She could hear the Team Galactic Commander send the grunts after her. _Great,_ _I'm out-numbered…_ Dawn thought desperately. Finding no other choice, she stopped in her tracks and turned around.

The men all looked surprised, looking back at their commander uncertainly. Jupiter moved to stand beside them, her eyes focusing on the younger girl. Dawn held her ground and gripped one of her Poké Balls, ready for a fight; the sight of this made Jupiter sneer.

"You want to fight _us_?"

"If…if that's what it comes down to—I will!" Dawn answered.

Jupiter's eyes narrowed slightly. "Oh? Then let's see." She jerked her head toward two of the goons.

The men quickly obliged, each sending out a Zubat and a Bronzor respectively. In return, Dawn used Luxio and Ponyta. The battle went by fairly quickly. Clearly, the goons were not very good. Either that or they were too tired from all the moving that they had to do to battle properly. In any case, Dawn made quick work of them, thanks to Luxio and Ponyta—who provided handy type advantages. However, Jupiter did not seem the least bit impressed. She called out the second pair, who took up the battle next.

This time, she was faced with a Glameow and surprise—another Zubat. Dawn could have sworn she saw Jupiter smile when she trounced her opponent's Glameow. When the battle concluded, Dawn drew a much better reception from the Galactic Commander. Jupiter stepped up past her defeated goons, who all shrank backward in embarrassment.

"You're the one, aren't you?"

Dawn frowned, not letting her guard down. "I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Hmph. You're the one at Valley Windworks," said Jupiter, ignoring the younger girl's comment. "You defeated Mars." At that, the violet-haired woman sneered. She almost seemed satisfied.

"…She…she wasn't using her real Pokémon," Dawn admitted, lowering her gaze for a moment. "But we did get Valley Windworks back!"

Jupiter settled one hand on her hip. "Is that it? I really don't care. She _lost_. I hope you don't think that _all_ of us are that weak."

"That's not what I've seen _so_ far," Dawn retorted. "And I think that this might just be the worst yet!"

Her jaw tightened momentarily, but Jupiter managed to rearrange her expression into another sneer. "Brat, don't think you're high and mighty because you won against _trash_."

"I'm not scared of you."

Jupiter reached for one of her Poké Balls, but paused just as she heard the door slide open. It was her red-haired cohort, who had decided to return with four more grunts. She seemed mildly concerned at the commotion at first, but upon spotting Dawn, Mars's face broke out into a smirk.

"Oh~ It's _you_." Her eyes shifted over to Jupiter. "Are you having trouble?"

Jupiter straightened, holding the ball casually. "Do you want a rematch with her? You know, to fix your _mistake_."

Color found its way to Mars's cheeks, causing Jupiter to grin in satisfaction. Before anybody else could react, a voice cried out, causing every head to turn.

Dawn recognized the woman in the green cloak immediately. "Gardenia!"

"You can't go around causing a commotion like this!" The Gym Leader shouted. Before Dawn could apologize, she realized that it wasn't _her_ that Gardenia was speaking to. "You're supposed to move out quietly!"

Jupiter tucked her Poké Ball away. "This girl was trespassing."

"Sorry, but it's not your property anymore," said Gardenia. "You have a deadline to meet, don't you? Why are you bothering with her?" The twenty-year-old turned to Dawn. "Were you doing anything?" Dawn shook her head, prompting Gardenia to continue. "There, see? You're wasting time!"

Jupiter looked at the Gym Leader with narrowed eyes for a moment, but then she broke her gaze. "Hmph. Fine, but mind your own business, will you?"

There was a moment of silence. It was fairly tense. For second, Dawn thought that Gardenia would join the fray, but—

"C'mon! Aren't we paying you enough?" Mars shouted, causing the goons to begin moving.

As the Galactic employees proceeded with their tasks, the two commanders stood rooted at the spot. Jupiter crossed her arms, wearing a sneer; Mars had a hand on her hip, shooting the pair of them a haughty look. Gardenia, sensing trouble, grabbed Dawn by the wrist. When the fourteen-year-old looked back up at her, Gardenia shook her head slightly and began pulling her away.

"W-wait!" Dawn cried, breaking free just long enough to recall Luxio and Ponyta.

"Okay, then let's go!" Gardenia muttered under her breath.

Pulling the younger girl away, Gardenia looked fairly distressed. More than once, she had to give Dawn a few jerks, because the fourteen-year-old kept looking back. As the Eterna Galactic Building disappeared from view, Gardenia released her hold on Dawn's wrist and issued out a sigh of relief. Dawn looked at her with a mixture of gratefulness and annoyance.

"Thanks, Gardenia…but I really—"

The Gym Leader shook her head, looking far less stern as she was back at the building. "Oh man…you are _crazy_. I can't believe you would go and pick a fight with them, honestly!"

"Er, but they—" Dawn began.

Gardenia looked at her seriously. "They're two of the best Team Galactic Commanders, that's who they are."

"And I heard them talking," said Dawn determinedly. "They were up to something!"

Gardenia rubbed the back of her head, looking at the ground for a moment. "Aw, Dawn! It doesn't _matter_, does it? It's _their_ business, not yours! You don't know what you're getting yourself into."

"…I know…" Dawn mumbled.

Gardenia sighed. "Don't bother with Team Galactic, okay? Those two are bad news."

"Why's that?" Dawn asked, suddenly filled with curiosity. "They didn't look like they really got along…"

"No way," Gardenia sighed. "Those two are some of the best Trainers that Team Galactic has! I heard that they're supposed to be really good together. You wouldn't have stood a chance!"

Dawn frowned. Two women who disliked each other didn't seem like they would do very well in a battle together. Privately, Dawn _wanted_ to battle Jupiter, whether she was with Mars or not; both of them at once just would have made things twice as exciting.

"Honestly, you're either foolish or masochistic…"

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, no battles here. This chapter was mainly just 'fan-service' I think, but there _are_ good plot points, honest! Anyway, I just did what I could. I'll probably plan things out more in the future. Like I said, I don't know when I'd be able to update 'cause of school (last year). I do hope that you'll stick with me here. By no means will I give this story up!

_Next_: _Dawn vs. Gardenia, take two! Then it's on the road again…to where?  
_


	12. Eterna: Second!

**A/N:** *twitch* I _sincerely_ apologize for dying off for months. If you've given up then I really don't blame you. =A= College apps... Life... It's been a little _hectic_. All the same, I thank everyone for reviewing. Uh, from the um...bottom of my heart? =__=;; As usual, I shall reply! (Hell, you probably don't remember what you've said last but still...)  
BTW, I hope this chapter is somewhat satisfactory. I'm not extremely proud of it, but I did what I could. It's been awhile so the plot is a bit sketchy for myself as well. *sigh* That's my fault.

So here's a summary starting from Ch. 10: _Mira is saved! Cynthia & Dawn go back to Eterna so Dawn can get her second badge. Cheryl is sick so Gardenia 'takes care' of her. The next morning, Cynthia is gone so Dawn goes and gets mixed up with Mars & Jupiter. Team Galactic sold its Western Sinnoh branch so now they have to pack up and leave. Gardenia saves Dawn before Mars & Jupiter clean her clock_.

_Nhame_ - Yep, Mira speaks in 3rd person. I personally thinks it annoying, but...  
_Magmarashi_ - What you said reminds me of when I last updated. I'm sorry for not being able to to do every month. =A= Anyway, glad you liked Mars & Jupiter! Mira will not be seen 'til later.  
_Sora-Hikari_ - Ack...another one of my early reviewers! Thanks for stopping by! Again, I'm really sorry.  
_Dux_ - Oh, goodness...I'm really happy you like the bit with Gardenia & Cheryl. I was worried about it! And ha, Mars & Jupiter are the best. They hate each fine even without Saturn! X3  
_Amigo Dude_ - Urk...after all this time, I'd understand if _you've_ given up. T__T But anyway, thanks for noticing the little details. It keeps me on my toes trying to make things correct.  
_Palistus_ - Thanks for taking the time to review, and the tips. I'm trying to develop their relationship somewhat realistically, so forgive me if it's slow. I'll keep what you said in mind! ;3  
_Yasetsu_ - Romance again, huh? : They'll get there eventually, I promise! But thanks for coming as usual!  
_Miko_ - Another regular! Thanks for showing. oAo I'm sorry for being lazy and neglectful.  
_Pkmnshipfan_ - Thanks for the complement. It makes me happy! The story takes place in Platinum, but I do use some things from the anime. And it _is_ kinda hard to write Cynthia...  
_LittleDemonInside_ - I was your first, eh? XD I'm honored to have you review for me, author-of-_Sweet_-_Tooth_. ;) I'm happy that you've grown to like these pairings. It just makes me angry at myself for leaving the story here to rot for so long. =__= Nevertheless, I thank you for taking the time to give me your opinion. It feels good, y'know?  
_Nartog_ - Oh, you're _my _first if I do recall! Thanks for the idea about having one of her Pokemon follow Dawn around. I think I'll try and get it in somehow!  
_Berry-chan_ - Alright! Another person converted! X3 When it comes to Cynthia, I'm mostly just improvising, honestly. Anyway, I'm glad my story caught your eye. I know it's hard to stay interested if the reader mainly wants to see fluff/action, so thanks for sounding (?) patient. :3 Oh, LittleDemon also mentioned age earlier too. I couldn't bear making Cynthia seem more pedo than she already is. XD  
_Sane_ - Ha, crazy long name. Anyway, I'm um...glad you found the 5 hours reading this enjoyable? Thanks for reviewing!  
_Chadd_ - Thank ye very much!  
_Sky_ - Gah, I'll definitely be more diligent!  
_Hello Moto_ - Hey, my phone is Motorolla! Er, anyway...thanks for the review! Cats _are _better than dogs. ;3

* * *

**Chapter 11**

_Miss C. _

_It's too risky to meet you again any time soon so I think we should communicate through the post. (We'll manage!) I can't tell you where I am now, but I think we should keep going as planned. I'll be sure to contact you if anything new comes up!_

_I've got the results from that weapon you gave me the last time we met. It turns out that the bullets are loaded with some sort of drug. I think it's a muscle relaxant or sedative of some kind. The dose is pretty strong so I'm guessing that it could affect Pokémon too. That means that it's __dangerous__ for humans! I don't think you should mess around with them. Lie low and we'll get what we need in the end!_

_Anyway, you don't have to worry too much about the you-know-what. _I_ will keep it. (I'm a professional after all!) On that note, burn this after reading._

_P.S. I hope you'll find the disguise useful. I forgot the special tonic last time so I sent it now with this message. Two drops will last you an hour. __Don't__ take more than __twenty__ drops a day!_

_Sincerely, L_

Cynthia lowered the paper down. In front of her was a bouquet of flowers—tulips; it had been unwrapped. Amongst the stems was a small bottle. She guessed that that contained the 'special tonic' which the detective had mentioned. _Two drops, hm?_ She held up the bottle and twisted off its cap. The content had a toxic smell to it—like a cross between bleach and nail polish, but the liquid itself resembled cloudy water. Cynthia wrinkled her nose slightly before screwing the top back onto its proper place.

At the moment, she was back in her room. In the morning, she had decided to take a walk around the city (carefully avoiding the Eterna Galactic Building). She ended up at the statue of the ancient Pokémon, when a little boy came to her with a note and a bouquet of flowers. It had surprised her at first, but she put two and two together soon enough. Thus, she had decided to return to the condominiums. Cynthia was glad not to bump into Dawn or Gardenia on her trip and was relieved not to find the younger girl back in the room. _She's probably going to her Gym battle._ Cynthia figured that she ought to be present, but the prospect of appearing there with Gardenia was a bit of a problem. After all, her last visit was not very pleasant, even if it _did_ propel the Gym Leader to act.

Cynthia read a few lines from the letter again. _'Lie low and we'll get what we need in the end'._ Was that really the case? While she did not want to admit it in front of Dawn, she _was_ concerned about Team Galactic. What Charon had said back at Valley Windworks really got her mind racing. She needed to find out what Cyrus was up to. There was something else going on and she still didn't even know the _gist_ of it. Yes. She would have to take advantage of Dawn's absence for today and get some information. It was too dangerous for _Dawn_, but she herself would be fine.A thought _did_ cross her mind; perhaps it was time to leave the girl be. After all, she couldn't take responsibility for the fourteen-year-old! It was better for her to continue on her own; it was less risky that way, considering what it was that Cynthia was doing. However, something held her back from voicing this thought. Maybe it was because she actually _felt _like this was fun or exciting… Call it reckless, but she decided to dismiss the thought for now.

…_Whatever, right?_ _I'll focus on what's at hand first._ Cynthia recalled the situation back at the Galactic Building; they were moving. She couldn't miss the opportunity. Getting to her feet, Cynthia placed the bottle and the note on the table and gathered up the tulips. After setting them in a water-filled vase, she promptly destroyed the letter (with a slight roll of her eyes). Cynthia held the bottle up. _Guess, we'll see how well it works, hm?_

***

At the Eterna Gym, Dawn's battle with Gardenia was starting. The two of them had decided to head straight there after the Team Galactic incident. Dawn had insisted she battle the other Trainers again, but Gardenia just wanted to cut to the chase. Now atop the elevated platform, both were faced one another, ready for the referee to give them the signal.

"Let the match begin!"

Gardenia stood on the left side of the field, a Poké Ball in hand. "Are you ready this time, Dawn?"

"Why don't I show you?" Dawn grinned, pulling out a ball of her own. "Go, Luxio!"

A flash of light summoned the black and blue creature to the field. On the opposite side was a flower-like Pokémon, Gardenia's Cherrim. The first thought that ran through Luxio's mind was that it wasn't about to let the same thing from last time happen again. _Now_ it was ready. Once Gardenia issued out a command for Cherrim to use Magical Leaf, Luxio focused on dodging them. It was more prepared this time around, successfully avoiding the blows. Dawn gathered that Gardenia was just giving her a small test. _I'll make her take us seriously!_

"Luxio, use Leer!"

_Doesn't _this _seem familiar?_ Gardenia smiled. "Cherrim, use Magical Leaf!"

The flower Pokémon winced slightly but followed through with its attack without much of a problem. On the other hand, Luxio took about half of the damage from the assault, only managing to get out of the way near the end. Dawn remained undeterred. Luxio responded quickly with Spark. However, Gardenia saw the attack coming, promptly ordering Cherrim to get out of harm's way. The grass Pokémon retaliated soon after with Leech Seed. Leaping to the right, Luxio avoided the attack and charged forward with one of its own.

"Isn't that kind of reckless?" said Gardenia, crossing her arms. "Stun Spore!"

Dawn smirked. "Luxio, Roar!"

_So she wasn't without a strategy…_ Gardenia watched in surprise as the force of the Roar sent the cloud of pollen back toward its owner. Cherrim cringed; Luxio took the opportunity to follow up with a hard Tackle, sending the grass Pokémon flying a few paces backward. Cherrim slowly got upright again, with mild difficultly due to the paralysis.

"That's something," began Gardenia nonchalantly. "But it won't last very long."

Dawn knew that. Being hit by its own Stun Spore _wouldn't_ affect Cherrim as it would normal Pokémon. It would only be a matter of time before it would recover. She had to act quickly. Luxio charged at its opponent once again, plowing into it once more. This time, Cherrim got up a bit more quickly. It tried another Magical Leaf attack, but only managed to get out half the amount before wincing. After taking another Tackle, Cherrim struck back with Leech Seed. Thin vines shot out from the miniature seed, ensnaring the black and blue feline around its neck. Luxio let out a disgruntled growl as it felt the vines sap away at its energy.

However, Dawn smiled. "Sorry, for the repeat—Luxio, use Charge!"

Following her command, Luxio began charging up with electricity in order to interfere with the energy-taking process. A previously tested strategy, the effort proved to be successful, freeing Luxio from the vines. By now, Cherrim had mostly recovered, and was not sparing any time striking back. Again it attacked with a barrage of Magical Leaf, which Luxio was used to avoiding by now. The feline charged toward Cherrim. Gardenia remained calm, simply telling the flower Pokémon to jump in order to avoid the oncoming Luxio. To her surprise, Dawn seemed happy.

"Okay, Luxio—this is it!" She began eagerly. "Spark!"

Gardenia blinked. _What?_ As Cherrim hopped into the air, Luxio let loose a current of electricity. Unable to change its direction because it was in mid air, the grass Pokémon took the full damage before it landed. _She knew that electric attacks aren't really effective on grass types so she deliberately waited for Cherrim to dodge! Spark would be more successful in the air! She had me thinking that she was going to rely on physical attacks to win…_Gardenia watched as Cherrim struggled to remain upright. The additional boost that Spark received from Charge seemed effectual. Luxio set off on a running start once again. Gardenia wasn't sure whether or not that this was another feint. _Okay, Cherrim isn't in a good state to dodge. An attack it is, then!_

"Cherrim, use Magical Leaf!"

This time, Luxio followed through, taking the damage from its opponent's attack as it went. By the time Cherrim stopped, Luxio had plowed into it with another Tackle, sending it flying near the edge of the platform. Luxio roared triumphantly before its eyes locked onto the flower Pokémon. Cherrim made an attempt to rise, but to no avail. The wave of the referee's flag told them that Cherrim was unable to battle.

"Alright, Luxio!" Dawn cheered. "Why don't you r—"

Despite taking the all the damage from Magical Leaf, Luxio still seemed rearing to go. It let out a short growl, telling Dawn that it still wanted to continue. Dawn frowned. She knew better than that; it might not look like it, but Luxio was probably getting low on health—or at least nearly half-way to losing consciousness. _Ooh, stop being so stubborn!_ Dawn took out a Poké Ball, but his time Luxio snarled. She looked across the field to Gardenia, who already had her Turtwig out. The referee cleared her throat. _Fine!_

"I'm sticking with Luxio," Dawn announced reluctantly.

Gardenia laughed. "Okay, then…"

The battle began. Luxio started off with a Tackle—on its own. Dawn blinked. Gardenia took the opportunity to issue out Razor Leaf. The attack pelted Luxio as Cherrim's had done. The difference this time was great. By the time Luxio neared Turtwig, it was reeling from the damage and unable to follow through. Turtwig leapt forward and chomped the feline on the shoulder. Dawn watched as Luxio howled in pain as Turtwig remained attached. From afar it might have seemed amusing, but nothing about the situation was funny for her.

"Luxio, quick—use Spark!"

With a charge of electricity, Luxio managed to get Turtwig to release its grip. It breathed heavily while Turtwig remained, for the most part, unfazed. Gardenia smiled and gave out an order for another Razor Leaf. Luxio made a feeble attempt to dodge, but ended up on the floor a few seconds afterward. Dawn took out her Poké Ball again; ready to call the black and blue Pokémon back, but Luxio struggled to its feet and broke off into another running charge.

"Luxio, stop!"

Gardenia crossed her arms. "Turtwig, Reflect."

As Luxio drew near, a clear, mirror-like wall sprang up before its opponent. The result was Luxio colliding into the wall and collapsing to the floor. The electric Pokémon made a few noises before lying unconscious. Dawn sighed and finally withdrew Luxio back. _Why can't you listen!?_ She took out another ball but Gardenia interrupted her.

"You're still working on it, right?"

Dawn smiled slightly. Feeling a little bit better, she sent out Ponyta. _Okay, we're still even but I have to win this one or I won't stand a chance against her Roserade._ The fire Pokémon let out a short neigh as it stood, pawing the ground casually. Dawn knew that it was too much to rely on type advantages alone, but she hoped that it _would_ give her a decent chance. She would just have to trust in Ponyta and the current amount of experience that they had battling together so far.

"I thought type didn't matter?" Gardenia said, grinning.

Dawn returned the gesture. "It helps."

"We'll see about that! Turtwig, Razor Leaf!

_That's it?_ Dawn thought, watching as the turtle Pokémon let out a short barrage of leaves. Automatically, she ordered Ponyta to use Ember in order to burn the oncoming attack. Her endeavor succeeded, but the instant that the flames died away, Turtwig was gone. It _What!?_ It was charging at Ponyta with what seemed like a strong Tackle. Caught off guard, Ponyta took the damage, drawing back at the pain.

Gardenia wasn't about to let up now that she had her opponent on the ropes. Speed was something that most Trainers would never have guessed was Turtwig's specialty. Judging by Dawn's reaction, she also made the same mistake. _Well, it'll cost you!_ Following through with its assault, Turtwig leapt forward quickly after delivering the first blow, hitting the fire Pokémon with Bite.

"Now, Turtwig—Razor Leaf!" The twenty-year-old exclaimed.

As Ponyta flinched from the last attack, Turtwig hopped back and let loose another onslaught of leaves. Too late to dodge, Ponyta took the brunt of it, letting out a cry of pain as the leaves cut into its side. Dawn's grip tightened. _This looks bad!_ _I have to think of something soon—or I'll lose!_ Relying on types alone was not going to work. Whatever generalizations she had made up before—about Turtwig's speed for instance, only threw her off. Dawn understood that she had to get a little creative in order to win. _But…should I use it yet?_ Whatever it was that she came up with though, she had to do it fast; Ponyta was probably half-way through its health already.

Gardenia smiled. "You're not giving up, I hope!"

"Not a chance!" Dawn replied. _I think I got it! _"You'll have to take us down first!"

Curious as what the younger girl was planning, Gardenia launched her next attack. "You asked for it—Turtwig, let's go with another Tackle!"

_It's fast…!_ _But I know Ponyta's not _slow_ either!_ Watching the grass Pokémon as it darted forward, Dawn knew that she had to time her counterattack correctly. "Now, Ponyta—Stomp!"

Watching the oncoming attack, Ponyta carefully—but quickly, sent a hoof downward at Turtwig, stopping it in its tracks. _Alright! Now to push back! _Dawn hurried and followed up by telling Ponyta to use Ember just as Turtwig was reeling from the impact. The flames sent the grass Pokémon backward, wincing. Dawn celebrated inwardly. _Okay, now I just have to keep it up while Turtwig's defenses are down!_

"I know what you're thinking!" Gardenia interjected. "And I'm not gonna give you that chance!"

Dawn smiled. "Then get ready! Ponyta—Tackle!"

"Heh, Turtwig, use Curse!"

_What's Curse…?_ Dawn wondered. She watched as Turtwig closed its eyes and began to glow with an odd light. Once the light faded, the turtle Pokémon seemed a bit more energized than before. Despite that, Dawn decided that she couldn't worry about it now—Turtwig was taking the offensive again!

"Ponyta, dodge it!" Dawn shouted.

The fire Pokémon quickly veered out of the way. While Turtwig seemed more powerful than normal, it didn't seem as fast as it was before. _Could that be a part of Curse…?_ Dawn thought. Either way, she had to retaliate when she had the chance.

"Okay, Ponyta, use Ember!"

"Turtwig, Withdraw!"

As the flames approached it, Turtwig quickly went into its shell. Dawn was mildly surprised, but she wasn't about to let up. Ponyta charged forward with another Tackle. Gardenia smiled. If Dawn thought that she was going to win the match through pure aggression, she was wrong.

"You're being _reckless_ again! Turtwig, Grass Knot!"

Dawn blinked as thin vines shot up from the ground, ensnaring Ponyta's legs. The sudden handicap caused the horse to stumble, bringing it down. Turtwig used the opportunity to run forward with a Tackle of its own. Ponyta cringed as it felt the blow. By using Curse, Turtwig had increased its attack power. The turtle Pokémon drew backward as Ponyta began to stand, watching its opponent. Dawn's fist tightened. Gardenia seemed to be 100% sure that she was going to win. Dawn had to prove her wrong.

"Ponyta, let's go!" She shouted, as the fire Pokémon broke into a run once more.

Gardenia crossed her arms with a smile. "Turtwig, again—Grass Knot!"

"Now, Ponyta, use Flame Wheel!" Dawn responded determinedly.

As the vines emerged, Ponyta's body was surrounded by flames. Burning through the shoots, the fire Pokémon followed through with its attack. Before Turtwig could respond, it was met with Ponyta's charge. The turtle shut its eyes as it flew back, on fire. It was Gardenia's turn to be surprised. _Huh…she tricked me! She made me think that it'd work twice—just because I thought she was being stubborn… And because of Curse, Turtwig's speed went down. I might actually be in trouble…_

"Turtwig, can you continue?"

The grass Pokémon made a noise as it began to rise to its feet. It was a difficult task thanks to the lingering flames on its body. Dawn held her breath. Turtwig wobbled once, twice, before sinking back onto the ground. With a wave of the referee's flag, the round was over.

"Alright, Ponyta, we did it!" The fourteen-year-old cheered. Ponyta pawed the ground a few times in reply. "Gosh, seem more excited, will ya? Here…" Taking out a Super Potion from her bag, Dawn sprayed it gently on the fire Pokémon. _Well, having a mild nature isn't _too_ bad._ She thought, remembering how Luxio reacted to these.

Once she had finished, Ponyta neighed in what seemed to be a grateful tone. Stroking the front of its head gently, Dawn took out Ponyta's Poké Ball. "Okay, rest up! I might need you again."

As Ponyta disappeared, Dawn turned to face Gardenia once more. The Gym Leader had an odd look on her face; excitement, perhaps? Dawn knew that there was one obstacle left—Gardenia's Roserade. It was the only thing standing between her and her second Gym badge.

***

Not too far from the Gym, was the Eterna Galactic Building. Even though moving had resumed, things were still tense. Mars was officially angry. There was absolutely _no way_ that she was going to take this lying down! Jupiter just _ordered_ her (the nerve!) to help the rest of the grunts pack. After Dawn and Gardenia left, that was the first thing that Jupiter had said to her. As if it wasn't bad enough that Mars was here _with_ the infernal woman at _all_—now she had to put up with her crap.

"Why don't we set something straight," The red-head began heatedly. "I don't work for _you_ so—"

Jupiter scoffed. "You work for Master _Cyrus_, don't you? And he told you to _assist_ me."

Mars felt her jaw tighten. "You don't have to act like you _own_ the god da—"

"On the contrary, I _do_ own the 'god damn place'," Jupiter replied, circling her co-worker slowly. "Like I've said before—Master Cyrus decided to leave _me_ in charge of the Eterna branch, not _you_."

Jupiter paused for the effect of these words to sink in. Indeed, when she saw some color rise to Mars' face, she continued. "What were you doing? Oh, yes…aiding Charon, right?" She stopped near Mars' left and crossed her arms. "And oh no…you hardly even did _that_ correctly…"

That was the last straw. In an instant, Mars swung over with her right hand, her eyes blazing. However, Jupiter had anticipated this move; she wasn't _stupid_. She was just _waiting_ for it to happen. _Idiot— _Grabbing Mars by the wrist, Jupiter quickly secured the other woman's free hand with her own. Shoving the red-head's back against the wall of the Galactic building, Jupiter sneered.

"I suggest you start reevaluating yourself…or Master Cyrus will no longer have any use for you."

Releasing her grip, Jupiter turned on her heel and headed back toward the front of the building. Mars was shaking with anger. How she would _love_ to shoot that woman. If…if it weren't for the fact that Cyrus needed all of them for his plans. _I swear when everything is over…_ Doing her best to calm herself down, Mars took herself away from the wall and stepped out from the side of the building. As she walked, a few beeps from her pocket told her that she had a call. She instantly felt a surge of annoyance but chose to answer it anyway.

"_What_?" She spat harshly.

On the other side of the line, Saturn held the phone away from his ear for a moment. "…_I'm glad to hear your voice too._"

"Saturn…" Mars faltered slightly, but quickly regained her usual demeanor. "What do you want?"

"_I'm just checking up on your progress with Jupiter. Charon has already arrived._"

Mars felt a fresh wave of anger. She spoke through gritted teeth. "That's because he left earlier…to deliver the info we got from Valley Windworks…"

"_Yes, Master Cyrus was fairly pleased. But in any case, we still need you and Jupiter in order to begin the next phase._"

Mars paused. Okay, that sounded a little better. "Yeah, yeah…we're nearly done."

"_Good, just don't waste _all_ of your time fighting._"

With a beep, the call ended, leaving Mars feeling a _tiny_ bit happier than before. Slipping her phone back into her pocket, the red head continued on her way. A few grunts were still moving boxes into the truck out front, but it seemed like they were wrapping things up. Inside, she found Jupiter barking orders at the goons who were lingering around. Upon seeing Mars step in, the violet-haired woman smirked.

"Saturn called," Mars began, as calmly as her temperament allowed. "He said that Charon already made it back so we should hurry it up."

"Is that so? We shouldn't keep Master Cyrus waiting then," answered Jupiter. "That was the last of it. We can go ahead and leave."

Mars raised an eyebrow. She should have been used to Jupiter's antics by now. 90% of the time, this woman was out to get her. Only 9% of her really wanted to cooperate or help. The last 1%? It was something else, but Mars couldn't quite put her finger on it… _Bitch. _Mars did her best not to look at Jupiter. She knew that if Jupiter wanted to go back to provoking her, she'd end up snapping again. "_Great_…"

"Did anything change?"

The red head exhaled slowly before glancing at her co-worker. "No, we still meet up at HQ to get further orders… We still gotta drop this stuff off."

As the pair went outside, the grunts had just finished securing everything in the truck. The lot of them was climbing into a separate van emblazoned with the Team Galactic logo. One of the men approached Jupiter nervously. However, her expression remained as bland as ever, as if he wasn't worth her time.

"Where's the chopper?"

The goon swallowed. This wasn't good news—that was certain. "U-uh…you see, ma'm...er…it got a little…_delayed_, so…"

Mars twitched. "_What_?"

"O-oh, um…yeah…w-we just got the message and…" The man replied, jumping slightly at the presence of the second commander. "…It seemed to…uh, yeah…"

Jupiter grabbed the grunt by the front of his uniform. "_So_?"

"…S-so uh…so we…er….all ride in the van…?" He answered sheepishly.

Tossing the man aside, Jupiter marched toward the said vehicle. Clearly, it was not fit for one of the commanders, as it was generally used to send squads of goons back and forth. On the bright side, they didn't have _too_ many people with them, so there was still _some_ room. Mars slapped her palm against her forehead. _Of course_ this had to happen! Not only was she left behind to take orders from Jupiter, she would now get to enjoy a long car ride _with_ her _and_ a group of henchmen!

"Ugh…let the torment begin," She muttered, moving past Jupiter and climbing into the van. Choosing a spot near the front of the vehicle, Mars sat down on the bench-like seats. She mustered up a smirk. "Well, c'mon then. Unless you wanna drive the moving truck."

"Hmph." Getting on board, Jupiter took a spot on the other end of the bench Mars was sitting on. (They were still too close in her opinion.)

The rest of the grunts were left to occupy the back and sides of the van. It wasn't exactly packed, but it wasn't _roomy_ either. To be in such close proximity of the two commanders was alarming; especially, when they were both known for their horrible tempers. If they weren't going at it with one another, the goons were usually the next victims. Indeed, this was going to be a _long_ trip…

***

Back at the Gym, Dawn and Gardenia's match was still underway. Judging by how things were progressing, Dawn had the upper hand, but she knew that it was much too early for her to declare victory. After all, she believed that Gardenia was perfectly capable of turning tables. If she let up for a second, she could possibly lose. _I can't be careless!_ _We've gotten really close!_

"It's not the end yet," said Gardenia, taking out a Poké Ball.

Dawn nodded. "Not by a long shot."

"Alright—Roserade, you're up!"

_Okay, this is it, Piplup!_ Dawn sent out her own Pokémon as Gardenia called Roserade to the field. A wave from the referee's flag signaled the start of the fourth round.

Gardenia decided to make the first move. "Roserade, Magical Leaf!"

"Piplup, use Bubble to counter it!"

As the wave of glowing leaves flew toward it, Piplup let out a burst of bubbles in order to meet the attack. It seemed to work for a moment, but the oncoming threat managed to overcome Piplup's defenses. The water Pokémon barely managed to dodge at the last second. Dawn was undeterred. Piplup began running forward the first chance it got. _He's also faster than _he_ looks!_ _And if I'm right, she'll—_

Gardenia smirked. _Oh, c'mon! I'm not gonna be taken out _that_ easily!_ "Roserade, Stun Spore!"

"Now, Piplup—use Bubble Beam!"

_What?_ Gardenia watched in surprise. Before it got too close to meet with the cloud of Stun Spore, Piplup leapt backward and shot out a stream of bubbles toward the ground. Dust from the battlefield rose as a result, engulfing the golden powder. Gardenia then heard Dawn's voice again, but couldn't make out what she had said. The next instant, Piplup emerged from the cloud of dust, prepared to strike at Roserade. _Uh-oh! It's too close! I have to—_

"Roserade—Poison Sting!"

Just as Piplup landed in a Peck, Roserade retaliated with a sharp jab from a needle that emerged from its petals. The flower Pokémon winced at the attack but its effort was rewarded as Piplup drew back. Dawn's fist tightened for a second. If Piplup was poisoned then it would mean bad news. However, the blue penguin glanced back at her for a moment as if to let Dawn know that it was fine. She nodded and returned her attention to Gardenia.

"Are you gonna saying something?" The Gym Leader grinned. "You think you have me cornered?"

Dawn smiled. "Not yet, but we'll get there! Piplup, use Bubble!"

"Heh, Roserade—Magical Leaf!"

Again, Piplup's attack was pushed back by Roserade's. However, the water Pokémon quickly rolled out of the way to avoid the damage and prepared for the next assault. _You don't think that'd work twice, right? I'm not gonna give you the chance!_ Gardenia decided to take to the offensive with Grass Knot. Roserade touched one of its flowers to the ground, sending a mass of green shoots up from underneath Piplup.

Dawn tensed up. "…Piplup—try and dodge it!"

Try as it might, Piplup was unsuccessful. The plants shot up much too quickly. Jumping was its mistake, as that only resulted in Piplup being snared and slammed back down as it rose. Once Roserade straightened up, the roots disappeared, leaving Piplup to get back up slowly. _Oh no… He wouldn't be able to—_ Dawn watched as Roserade followed up with its attack, by sending a wave of Magical Leaf toward Piplup.

"Piplup—just use Bide!" Dawn cried out of desperation.

_Bide?_ Gardenia repeated mentally. As the attack collided into its body, Piplup was surrounded in a white glow. The little blue penguin cringed but did its best to hold its ground. Dawn knew that that was probably the deciding blow. There was no way that Piplup was able to continue for very long after taking all the damage from Magical Leaf; with type disadvantages and all. She looked at it and nodded slightly. It was all or nothing now!

Gardenia smiled. "I know what you're thinking, Dawn."

"Wanna try it?" The fourteen-year-old grinned.

Gardenia laughed. _She can't be serious!_ "Okay, sure. I'm telling you—you won't last!"

"We won't know until then, right?" Dawn answered easily. "Piplup, let's go!"

The Gym Leader crossed her arms. "Okay, Roserade—Magical Leaf!"

"…Not that, Piplup! Get as close as you can!"

Gardenia blinked. _Er, that's— …Heh, no way… _Bracing itself, Piplup tried its hardest to dodge the oncoming barrage of leaves. Dawn held her breath as a few of them grazed into Piplup. However, by the time Roserade stopped firing, the water Pokémon got near enough for a close attack. Gardenia brow furrowed. _Was that enough? He's not—_

"Roserade, Poison Sting!"

_Yes! C'mon, Piplup!_ Dawn felt a surge of energy. If this went well… As Piplup leapt toward it, Roserade prepared another needle and stabbed forward. The instant the blow met with Piplup's body, it flashed once, losing the glow surrounding its form. The force released sent both Pokémon flying backward.

Once Piplup landed, it was no longer moving, but Dawn was thankful all the same. As the referee waved the flag, Dawn drew Piplup back into its ball. On the other side of the field, Roserade managed to fall back on its feet, looking a battered yet still graceful. Gardenia looked partially amused and partially disbelieved. _She _knew_ that Piplup couldn't survive another round of Magical Leaf…_ _So she wanted to get hit with something she knew he _could_ survive!_ _And here I thought I was just humoring her…_

The referee waved the flag once again, as Dawn sent out her last Pokémon. "Final round, begin!"

This match was going to end quickly—both Dawn and Gardenia knew that. Both Trainers started right away without missing a beat.

"Roserade, Magical Leaf!"

"Ponyta, counter with Ember!"

Scorching the oncoming leaves, Ponyta then galloped forward. At the same time, Roserade used Grass Knot, sending roots upward in an effort to entangle the fire Pokémon. Ponyta stumbled slightly, but made a quick recovery with Flame Wheel, burning through the restraints. However, just as it seemed like it was going to get hit, Roserade leapt out of the way nimbly and retaliated with a burst of Stun Spore. Catching a face full of the powder as it passed, Ponyta stopped in its tracks as the flames from its attack died down. It winced and shuddered—a result of the paralysis that was starting to take over. Roserade quickly took advantage of the situation and sent a wave of Magical Leaf toward its opponent, landing direct hits.

"Ponyta! C'mon!"

Doing its best to shake off the feeling, Ponyta stood in place. Roserade continued with its assault, launching another wave of Magical Leaf. Again, the attack hit its target successfully. By now, Dawn felt nothing but panic. They were so close! To lose now would be— _No…we _can't_!_ _That's not an option!_ On the other side of the field, Gardenia decided to wrap things up with a final barrage of Magical Leaf.

"Alright, get ready!"

"Ponyta…!"

The fire Pokémon shook itself again, trying to get rid of the paralysis. Fortunately, because Ponyta had been hit while it was still surrounded by fire from its attack, Stun Spore did not fully affect it. As the leaves neared, Ponyta charged forward with Flame Wheel again, engulfing its form with fire to repel the assault. Roserade prepared to dodge as Ponyta drew closer, but to its surprise, the fire Pokémon stopped earlier than expected and veered off slightly to the side. Gardenia blinked. _What's she doing now?_

"Ponyta, Ember!"

_Oh, gotcha._ Gardenia quickly told Roserade to dodge and put more distance between itself and its opponent. The flower Pokémon succeeded, but it was a narrow escape. Before it could catch its breath, Roserade looked again to see Ponyta charging forward again with another Flame Wheel. Dawn's plan was for it to stop short, just like it did previously. That way, it would have enough time to retaliate; not to mention close the distance faster.

Gardenia tensed up. _You have to dodge, Roserade!_ The grass Pokémon did, leaping out of the oncoming danger and firing out Magical Leaf again. Roserade's opponent skidded to a stop, turning to face it. This time, Ponyta did not counter with Ember; instead, it charged forward with full speed using Flame Wheel. _Ah, dang it…_ Burning through the leaves, Ponyta collided into Roserade with burst of flame, sending it airborne. Once it landed, the flower Pokémon was charred. It made an attempt to get up but was unsuccessful.

The referee blew the whistle and gave the flag a final wave. "Roserade is unable to battle. The match goes to Dawn, the challenger!"

"Alright, Ponyta! You did it!" Dawn cried, running forward to meet her tired Pokémon.

Gardenia sighed and drew Roserade back into its ball with a smile. "Amazing… She's actually very good, isn't she?"

Once Dawn had withdrawn Ponyta, Gardenia approached her wearing a grin. "I thought you'd be tough for a fairly new Trainer, but to think that you had this sort of bond with your Pokémon!" Clearing her throat, Gardenia reached into one of the pockets along the side of her leg and pulled out a small bag like Roark's. "In recognition of that, I'll proudly give you a Forest Badge!"

Dawn could almost only smile in response. As Gardenia handed her the badge, Dawn took it with enthusiasm; too much actually. The fourteen-year-old threw her arms across the older female, surprising the latter. "Thanks, Gardenia!"

"Whoa, alright!" The Gym Leader exclaimed, patting the shorter girl awkwardly on the head. "But, I _do _mean it y'know—I can tell that you and your Pokémon are gonna get even tougher, seriously!

Dawn released her hold on Gardenia and nodded. "Un! Still, thanks for everything!"

"Oh, don't worry," Gardenia answered. "It's been fun!"

Smiling, Dawn held her new badge up to examine it. The Forest Badge was composed of three diamonds; a single large one flanked by two smaller ones. This was her second badge! _Only six more to go! I gotta show Cynthia!_

"So where are you off to next?" Gardenia inquired. "You'd have to pass through Mt. Coronet to get to the other Gyms."

"I guess that's what I'll probably do," answered Dawn. "Oh, but I have to find Cynthia first!"

At the mention of Cynthia, Gardenia's expression faltered slightly. "Uh…Dawn…"

"Hm?"

The twenty-year-old sighed. "Well, I was just wondering…_why_ you were traveling with her."

"Oh, it's just that we met each other here," Dawn explained simply. She got into a thinking pose. "And somehow…we ended up traveling together. Hm, I guess that _is_ kinda weird, huh?"

Gardenia scratched her head. "Yeah…but that's not really what I was getting at…"

"Why? What's wrong?"

_Does she honestly not know who that _really_ is!? Well, okay, I didn't recognize her until we battled but— _Gardenia opened her mouth to say something, but one of her junior Trainers abruptly called up to her from below the platform. The Gym Leader looked down, let out a yelp and immediately ran toward the stairs, leaving Dawn confused.

Following the older woman, Dawn couldn't help but laugh slightly as they arrived at the Gym's entrance. Gardenia was fussing over the fact that Cheryl was present. Dawn couldn't imagine why. Cheryl was already looking loads better compared to the other night. She had color in her face again and no longer seemed tired. When she noticed Dawn, Cheryl approached her eagerly, leaving Gardenia to fold her arms up to her chest in a huff.

"I'm sorry, Dawn," The viridian-haired woman began. "I wanted to go and watch your match, but I overslept."

"Oh that's—"

Gardenia stepped up from behind and interrupted. "That's because she hasn't fully recovered!"

"Don't worry, I'm fine now," said Cheryl. "In any case, I'm glad I caught you before you left."

Dawn nodded, glancing slightly to her right, where the school girl and the aroma lady were laughing to themselves. _Er…_ Turning her attention back to where it belonged, she smiled. "I'm happy to see you too, Cheryl! But maybe Gardenia has a point?"

"See? Even Dawn thinks so," The Gym Leader chimed in.

Cheryl sighed. "If both of you say that then…"

"…I'm kidding! I'm only saying that for Gardenia," said Dawn, grinning. "You do look a lot better now."

Gardenia turned to look at the younger girl sharply. "Wha—"

"Thank you, Dawn," Cheryl began, smiling. "I only wished to say good-bye before you continued with your journey."

The fourteen-year-old nodded. "Un, thanks a lot for letting me stay with you back then!"

"It was nothing," answered Cheryl, waving her hand slightly. "You helped me through the forest after all."

"I helped _both_ of you," Gardenia mumbled.

Dawn laughed. "Okay, okay. Thanks to the both of you, alright? Wait, Gardenia, didn't I already give you a hug back there?"

"Er, that's…"

Cheryl looked at the Gym Leader inquiringly. "Oh dear…does that mean I also—"

"Oh, cut it out, you two!" Gardenia exclaimed. "I know when I'm being ganged up on!"

Cheryl smiled, turning back to Dawn. "Well, I don't think we should hold you up any longer. Go ahead, Dawn. Maybe we'll see each other again."

"Yep! I'll definitely try!" The fourteen-year-old agreed. "Good-bye, for now, yeah?"

Waving, Dawn exited the Eterna Gym, leaving Gardenia to round on Cheryl for earlier. Dawn laughed slightly. She really did hope that she would be able to see them again some time again in the future. As of now, what she had to do was visit the Pokémon Center. After that, maybe she could head back to the condominiums and find Cynthia. On that note, Dawn wondered what the blonde had been doing all morning. She had hoped to see Cynthia come and watch her Gym match. If not the whole thing then at least the ending, like during her battle with Roark. _Oh well, she probably had something important to do…_

After getting her Pokémon fully healed, Dawn headed back outside. _Let's see…back to the condos I go then._ As she walked, Dawn suddenly remembered what Gardenia asked her earlier in the Gym. _'Why were you traveling with her?'_ Okay, so they were an odd pair, but it was alright in Dawn's opinion. Well…maybe she _could_ use a little more discretion. After what happened in Jubilife City, Dawn knew that she should be more wary of strangers. However, there was also the fact that Cynthia had already helped her out on more than one occasion. If something bad were to happen, shouldn't it have occurred already? _I guess that's a good argument…_ Dawn laughed slightly. _Mom wouldn't approve…_

"But…I wonder what Gardenia was about to say?" Dawn thought aloud. "Aw, I forgot to ask her…"

Dawn smiled. _Well…she probably forgot what the answer was anyway because of Cheryl…_ Before she knew it, Dawn had arrived at the condominiums; still, there was no sign of Cynthia. Deciding that she had better head up to the room, Dawn took the elevator up. Passing Cheryl's aunt's room, the fourteen-year-old dug into her pockets for a key. Luckily, Cynthia had given her a spare one. _See?_ _She trusts me enough to do _that_ right?_ _If—_ Just as Dawn felt the door unlock, she heard a noise from inside the room. _Hey, she _is_ in there!_ However, she paused for a second. The person inside didn't _sound_ like Cynthia.

"_Yes, they're moving… Mm, I understand. Good-bye._"

Dawn blinked. _Okay, that's not Cynthia._ As soft as the voice was, it definitely belonged to a male. _A-a guy? _Her mind spinning, Dawn edged away from the door. She had a few options here: run away, in, or away to get help. Well, this _was_ a variable situation after all. The man inside could be A.) Cynthia's lover, B.) A robber, or C.) A robber with guns. Dawn knew that it would be _really_ awkward if it was situation A; she really didn't want to think about that one too much. However, it _was_ a robber…she couldn't let him continue as he pleased! _No, I owe her that much!_ _I gotta do something!_ _Guns or not!_ She thought, deciding that the man inside was indeed a robber.

Making up her mind, Dawn took out the Poké Ball with Luxio in it and burst in. She didn't think, she simply acted, sending out her Pokémon quickly. The instant Luxio was out, Dawn told it to Tackle the perpetrator down to the ground—which Luxio gladly did. Taken by surprise, the man had no time to react. He held up his arms to protect his head, but the Pokémon's weight sent him crashing to the floor.

"H-hold him there, Luxio!" Dawn cried, running to the phone.

The man struggled to get the black and blue feline off his front, but did his best to get the younger girl's attention. "_Dawn_? Wait, stop!"

The fourteen-year-old looked over, cautious yet curious. "W-who are you? I don't—"

"It's _me_, don't be silly," said the man.

Dawn frowned, deciding to get a better look at the criminal. (She still held the phone closely.) The more she examined the man, the more familiar he seemed. Despite the fact that he was wearing a black beanie with little red designs on it (making him seem like a thief), he looked…well, pretty. That was probably not the best way to describe a man, but that was the only word for it. From what she could tell, the man had straw-colored hair. His bangs poked out from beneath his hat, stopping somewhere along his eyes. His hair didn't quite reach his shoulders but it went past his ears to frame parts of his face and neck. Probably the most distinguishing thing about him was his eyes, which were an odd mix of green and gray.

"I…" Dawn began, somewhat at a loss for words. "I—"

The man grimaced, as he was still being pressed down by Luxio. "Dawn, it's me, Cynthia."

"_What?_" She said incredulously.

Luxio growled, increasing the pressure on its captive, causing him to wince. "Okay… Your best friend's name is Pearl… You're afraid of heights… And you're carrying a Pokémon egg."

"…W-well how did—?"

The man looked exasperated. "I hope that proved that I'm telling the truth… This is starting to hurt…"

"Er, Luxio! Stop!"

Snarling, Luxio got off slowly, not taking its eyes off of the blonde. Dawn was thinking along the same lines; she still kept her hand glued to the phone as the man got to his feet gingerly. He exhaled and dusted himself off. Dawn looked him up and down. The man was tall, but he definitely had androgynous features. There was also that fact that he was primarily wearing black and white (with an occasional red here and there), which convinced her that maybe he _was_ Cynthia after all.

"Um…what exactly…?"

The man sighed and pointed to an empty box on the table nearby. "Disguise. I can sound like this thanks to the stuff inside here," He added, taking out a small white bottle from his pocket. "If you still don't believe me, then I don't blame you."

Luxio growled in reply, but Dawn simply stood bewildered. "Is it _really_ you, Cynthia?"

"There's no faking anything _else_," answered the blonde, unzipping his jacket. "I _can_ show you what's underneath if you really want…" He sighed again. "It just took me awhile to put everything on, so I hope you'll understand when I say I don't really want to."

Dawn felt her face warm up. "Um, no I…I'll believe you for now." She lowered the phone slightly. "But…I don't get it. Why are you dressed like that?"

"…I…" Cynthia looked elsewhere. _This_ was going to be a blast to explain. She hoped that it wouldn't have had to come to this. How was she going to tell Dawn about Looker and everything else…while sounding _normal_ at the same time? _It's impossible._ Defeated, she decided to settle on the truth. "I'm actually—"

"—a secret agent, right?" Cynthia blinked. Dawn continued, "Now it makes sense!"

The blonde crossed 'his' arms. "…Does it now…?"

"Un! That's why you were always snooping around Team Galactic," Dawn answered. "You didn't want to get me involved because I could 'jeopardize' your mission."

Cynthia watched in mild disbelief as the navy-haired girl continued on with her theory without protest. Hey, it _did_ _sort of_ make sense. And if it gave her a good explanation to everything _without_ revealing the truth, then it was fine with her.

"…But I ended up helping out so you decided that it'd be okay," The fourteen-year-old finished. "In any case, that'd explain why you were wearing a disguise!"

Cynthia smiled and looked at the younger girl with amusement. "Very perceptive…"

"So, you _are_, right?" Dawn inquired eagerly. "A secret agent I mean. You work for—"

Cynthia thought back on her previous discussions with Looker and decided to recite some of his lines. "—the International Police, yes. My job is to investigate Team Galactic."

Dawn's features lit up. "And you're really letting me help?"

"Yes."

The fourteen-year-old blinked in surprise. "…Er, really? I didn't think—"

"I know that it's dangerous," Cynthia replied. Her answer was probably more to herself than Dawn. "But you're already involved in too much. It would be even more dangerous to leave you alone _now_…" She crossed her arms. "Especially when one of the Team Galactic Commanders remembers your face."

Dawn scratched her head sheepishly. "…Um, you might wanna chalk it up to two…because I uh, got into a little mishap with someone named Jupiter also…"

"…You're not serious?" The blonde sighed. "What happened?"

Dawn quickly explained that Gardenia had stopped anything from happening. "So it's okay!"

"Hardly…" Cynthia answered, shaking her head.

Biting her lower lip, Dawn glanced at 'Cynthia'. "Um, sorry…is it because of me that you had to get a new disguise?"

The twenty-two-year-old smiled. "No, it's okay. I think I'll be less recognizable as a man anyway."

At that, Luxio snarled, informing the pair of them that it was still present. Dawn quickly withdrew the electric Pokémon back into its ball before turning back to Cynthia, who headed over to the couch.

"That reminds me," 'She' began, taking a seat. "How did your match with Gardenia go?"

Dawn brightened, occupying the space next to the blonde. "I won! Do you wanna see?" Retrieving the case from her bag, she took out the badge and held it up proudly. "I got a Forest Badge now!"

"Oh, I'm sure it was a good battle," Cynthia answered honestly. "I should've gone and seen it."

The fourteen-year-old shook her head slightly. "It's okay, you had a job to do. Besides, after what we've seen, stopping Team Galactic is more important."

"…Mm…"

Dawn peered at the blonde's expression curiously. "Cynthia?"

"Oh, it's still light out," said Cynthia, brushing it off. "Do you want to walk around?"

Dawn nodded. "To gather some more info on Team Galactic, right?"

"No," Cynthia laughed, getting to her feet. "Just to walk with you."

Patting Dawn on the head, 'she' grabbed the empty white box and walked back to her room. The fourteen-year-old smiled slightly. _This will take some getting used to…_ She thought, referring to Cynthia dressing as a man. After washing up, Dawn decided to wait out in the hallway. Once Cynthia locked the door, they were off.

"Ne…Cynthia," Dawn began curiously as they walked. "If you're a guy now then…how am I supposed to call you that?"

The blonde thought about it for a moment. "That _is_ a problem, isn't it?"

"Right?"

After a pause, Cynthia answered, "Call me…Steven."

"Steven…?" Dawn repeated. "Did you just make that up or—"

Cynthia shook her head. "No…I _have_ met someone named Steven in past while I was traveling."

Somehow, Dawn thought that it was probably no a good idea to go on, so she simply decided to agree. After a silent walk outside, it was Cynthia who finally decided to break it. "You must be hungry right?"

"Oh, yeah—I just haven't realized it," answered the fourteen-year-old. "Y'know, with all the…um…excitement."

Cynthia smiled. "Well then let's get some ice cream!"

"Er, ice cream…?" Dawn repeated uncertainly. Knowing Cynthia, that wasn't a joke…

***

By the time they finished eating, it was dark. Much to Dawn's relief, Cynthia decided to go to a café. (They did end up having ice cream afterward though.) On the way there, Cynthia explained some of the things she had heard Mars and Jupiter saying earlier. Now that Team Galactic finally moved out, the only thing they left behind was their logo on the building. However, as they ate, neither mentioned anything else about Team Galactic. Instead, the topic of conversation was Dawn's Gym battle, which she explained in great detail. At the moment, she and Cynthia were walking around like they had planned earlier, ice creams in hand.

"I think you did well," Cynthia stated once the younger girl had finished talking. Her voice had already changed back to normal awhile ago. (It had been quite odd when it did.) "Like Gardenia said, you have a good bond with your Pokémon."

Dawn gave her ice cream a lick before answering. "You think so?"

"Mm, you just have to keep working at it," The blonde replied. "Proper training takes time."

Nodding, Dawn looked around for a moment before smiling, causing Cynthia to look at her curiously. The fourteen-year-old laughed. "I really think you should change back now."

Cynthia sighed. "You've been saying that ever since I got my voice back."

"Yeah, but it's just that you sound like a woman but look like a guy, y'know?" Dawn replied, grinning. "It's _weird_."

"I told you it only lasts for an hour…" Cynthia muttered, licking her ice cream.

Dawn smiled. "I got it, I got it." On a more serious note she added, "By the way, where are we headed to next?"

"…Don't you want to get your next badge?" Cynthia replied, lowering her ice cream. "That'd be in Hearthome City."

The dark-haired girl looked sideways at her companion. "Yeah, but I still want to help you get Team Galactic."

Cynthia directed her gaze elsewhere, but she was smiling. "It's still rather dangerous…"

"Then train me!" Dawn answered easily. "The point of going on a journey as a Trainer…it's to see new things and grow, right? Now is a good opportunity!"

_This girl…_ Cynthia looked back at the fourteen-year-old with a faint smile. "…Alright then. Are you prepared?"

Dawn grinned. "Naturally."

"Then tomorrow we'll head through Mt. Coronet," Cynthia continued. "Instead of crossing the tunnel into Celestic Town, we'll hike through the mountain."

At that, Dawn grew quiet, causing Cynthia to smirk. "Doesn't sound like a fun trip, does it?"

"No, it's not that," the fourteen-year-old replied. "It's just that…I've never been to Eastern Sinnoh before."

"And you're afraid?

Dawn shook her head. "No way, it'll be exciting! But…what about Team Galactic?" While Cynthia's turn to fall silent, Dawn continued. "They're still planning something, right? We gotta find them and stop them!"

Cynthia thought about it for a moment. "Don't worry, I've got my resources. Should we be needed, we'll make it out in time."

"…How? Won't we be stuck in Mt. Coronet?"

The twenty-two-year-old smiled. "I know Mt. Coronet surprisingly well, you know. You don't need to worry about a single thing."

"Okay, if you say so," answered Dawn. "Then I'm fine with it!"

Cynthia sighed. "…Sometimes I wonder if you're cautious or careless…"

"Just optimistic. But I do my best to be smart too, y'know?" Dawn replied, winking.

Smiling, Cynthia finished up the rest of her ice cream. After that, the duo headed back to Eterna Condominiums. As Dawn followed Cynthia through the hallway, the door next to her, the room belonging to Cheryl's aunt, flew open.

"Dawn!"

The navy-haired girl jumped and turned abruptly, to see that Gardenia was standing in the doorway. Just past her shoulder, Cheryl was peering out. At first, the Gym Leader looked shocked, her eyes drifting over to Cynthia, who also paused. A look of disappointment took over Gardenia's features. Cheryl took one glance at Cynthia and understood the reason.

"What are _you_ doing with _guy_ at this hour!?" Gardenia exclaimed disdainfully.

Cheryl shook her head. "Oh Dawn, I did not think—"

"E-eh!? I-it's not what it looks like!" The fourteen-year-old sputtered, waving her hands in front of herself defensively. "This is—"

Gardenia interrupted. "N-not what it looks like!?"

"Actually, that's precisely what it is."

Cynthia took the opportunity to step behind Dawn, wrapping one arm behind the younger girl's waist, and the other across her chest. Naturally, the result was catastrophic. Cheryl turned slightly red and decided to look elsewhere, while Gardenia let out a yelp of surprise. Dawn's reaction was a cross between both.

"…H-huh!? W-what are you—" She gasped, craning her head slightly to look up at the older woman. _W-why does she sound like a guy again!? She took more of that stuff?_

Gardenia made a few short noises of disbelief before managing to form a cohere sentence. "…W-well then, Dawn—I…I don't think there's much left t-to say. I-if you're perfectly okay with what you're d-doing then—"

"—then it's fine," Cynthia concluded for her.

Before Dawn could say anything else, she was steered into the other room by Cynthia, with the door closing behind them. The instant they were alone, Dawn shook off her grip and rounded on the blonde.

"What on earth were you thinking, doing that!?" She began incredulously. "N-now what are they going to think?"

Much to her surprise, Cynthia laughed. "That's up to them, right?"

At the older woman's words, Dawn reddened. "After you said—after what you said _that_, w-what else is there to think!?"

"…Fu fu…relax. I just thought I'd play around a little," the blonde answered lightly. "I'll go fix it up right now."

_How is she gonna fix something like _this_!? _Dawn thought desperately. She really didn't want Cheryl and Gardenia to get the wrong idea about her. _Why is Gardenia here anyway!? _Watching as 'Cynthia' left the room, Dawn ran over to the side of wall that was closest to the room next door and pressed her ear against it. Try as she might, there was no way that she was able to hear what was happening on the other side. After ten minutes passed, she gave up and sank down into the couch. It was precisely then that Cynthia returned.

"S-so what happened?" Dawn asked immediately, getting to her feet.

Cynthia shrugged. "I just told them that I was a relative and that I was just fooling around. I apologized for giving them the wrong idea too, of course."

"It…it was that easy?" Dawn sighed in relief.

Cynthia smirked. "It's nothing I haven't done before."

_E-eh…?_ The fourteen-year-old watched as the older woman bid her a good-night and disappeared into her own room. After that, Dawn fell back onto the couch. _Gosh…_ She certainly hoped that Cynthia would loosen up, but now Dawn realized that she had absolutely no idea what she was getting herself into. _I don't know if I can take any more crazy surprises from her…_

* * *

**  
A/N:** Well, there you have it! =A= Is it lame? Disappointing? If you still care a _little_, please review and give me your input! I'll do my best to keep updating from now on. I tried making this chapter a little longer, but quality is important too, right? Be sure to tell me! And for not having update for like three...FOUR months, I will work on a bonus chapter featuring Gaiashipping! Sorry if you're not too into this pair, but I think it's a good break from the main story. It'll give me time to think. (Not to mention help me get back into the groove.) I'll try and have it up soon, so look forward to it. This is a _promise_ so know that I _will_ finish it even if it kills me. (I'm not sure 'bout the length but I _will _strive for quality.) So, 'til then!

_Next_: _Dawn's special training regimen begins at Mt. Coronet! Then onward to Hearthome City! Huh, that woman seems kind of familiar..._


	13. Extra 01: GaiaShipping

**Extra 01: **_**GaiaShipping**_

What else could it be? Honestly, to think that the two of them would make such a big deal about it! What do they mean, anyway? Gardenia couldn't imagine how her two junior Trainers got such a kick out of watching her leave every time. It seemed perfectly normal to _her_. After all, she really was just returning a favor! The last time she battled with Dawn, Cheryl was there to act as their referee. She probably didn't plan to do so, but she went along according to Gardenia's whim anyway. The Gym Leader felt that she owed Cheryl a thank you visit at the very least. Well, she certainly hadn't expected to find the green-haired woman ill. Somehow, Gardenia ended up going to Eterna Condominiums a few more times in order to see her after that.

As Gardenia left the Gym, she caught two of her junior Trainers gossiping away again. While she didn't like to eavesdrop, she had a vague idea of what they were discussing. _I already said I was just bringing her soup! Gosh!_ Honestly, that really _was_ all Gardenia had been doing. The first time she showed up, Gardenia found Cheryl attempting to make dinner for her aunt. As much as she wanted to congratulate the other woman for her efforts, Gardenia couldn't imagine being able to successfully make _any_ sort of meal with the flu. It was then that she insisted she come by again to help out. Cheryl was reluctant at first, but she ended up giving in. Her illness made it impossible for her to look after her aunt.

The second time around, Gardenia had come by prepared with a canteen of soup for both Cheryl and her relative. It was a bit odd at first, having a stranger—a Gym Leader come by. However, Cheryl and her aunt were much too ill to pay too much attention to it. After all, Gardenia made sure that they had their proper medicine along with extra blankets. It was all good.

"Let's see…it was on the second floor…"

Gardenia stepped into the elevator and pushed the button. Today marked the third visit. She really hoped that both niece and aunt were feeling better. She didn't mind stopping by to deliver soup, but she knew that being sick really tanked; besides, since when was being sick _and_ old a good thing? Gardenia imagined that Cheryl would probably worry to no end if something bad happened to her relative. She didn't know the other woman too well, but even _she_ could tell that Cheryl was really close to her aunt.

Opening the door with a spare key (Cheryl trusted her with it), Gardenia stepped in quietly. Normally she seemed like a lively person, but she could be quite stealthy if she needed to be. _Okay, I better go check on them first._ She decided, placing the canteen on the counter. Navigating into the hallway, Gardenia peered into the first room. Inside, she found a still figure covered in layers of blankets. _Still sleeping…alright, now for her aunt._ Closing the door partially, Gardenia continued down the hall to look into the other room. Upon seeing close to the same thing, she decided to head back out.

Gardenia spent some time watering all of the plants in the room, making sure that they too received the proper attention. There was one in particular that she had especially taken a liking to. When she first laid eyes on it, she was all over the flower. Well, probably not _all_ over it (since that'd kill the poor thing), but she paid it the most attention anyway. Of course, she _did_ straighten out a few things here and there too; she just wasn't as in to it. Once she finished, Gardenia placed the miniature watering can down and stretched.

"…It's almost time for dinner," She murmured, looking at the clock on the wall. "I better get them up."

Heading down the hall, Gardenia entered the room of Cheryl's aunt. It took a few trips, but eventually she gave her the proper food and medicine that she needed. The elderly woman expressed her gratitude as Gardenia bid her a good-night before closing the door behind her. _Whew! Now for the niece!_

Reentering the Cheryl's room, Gardenia crouched down next to the front of her bed. She gave the viridian-haired woman a light shake. "Hey, Cheryl… Wake up. You gotta eat so you can take your medicine!"

Upon feeling the contact, Cheryl opened her eyes groggily. She still wasn't feeling the best right now, but she imagined that her aunt was only feeling worse. Hearing the familiar voice, she pulled the blankets off from her head. She blinked a few times, taking in Gardenia's face. The Gym Leader seemed as energetic as ever.

"Alright, let's wash up!" Gardenia declared, straightening. "I've brought chicken noodle today," She continued, shifting the blankets off of the other woman. "Y'know…in case you two didn't like vegetable."

"…I'm per…perfectly fine…with it," Cheryl answered, climbing out of the bed slowly. She coughed a few times. "…Thank you…"

Gardenia helped her companion to the bathroom. "Oh, don't worry about it!" She stood outside with her back against the wall once Cheryl entered and closed the door. "I owe you one, remember? We've already settled this yesterday!"

Turning off the water after she finished with the sink, Cheryl smiled slightly. "…But this seems…like a bit too much…for just refer…refereeing."

"Nah…"

Once she out, Gardenia helped Cheryl back to her room and onto the bed. After Gardenia propped some pillows up, Cheryl sat and leaned back against them. She watched the Gym Leader as Gardenia pulled the blankets back onto her lap for her.

"…Thank you…" She said quietly, placing her hands together.

The twenty-year-old grinned. "Oh, c'mon… How many times have you said that?" As Cheryl smiled in response, Gardenia headed for the door. "Anyway, I'll go get you some soup and your medicine. Sit tight, okay?"

With that said, Gardenia made her way back to the kitchen area. There, she quickly grabbed a breakfast tray and a bowl. Once she made sure everything she needed was present, she headed back. After setting the tray down across the other woman's lap, Gardenia pulled up a free chair and sat down to her side.

"Alrighty then," She began with a smile. "Medicine first _then_ food."

Nodding, Cheryl reached for the pills set on the tray and popped them into her mouth. Grabbing the cup of tea nearby, she promptly drank its contents before setting the glass back down. With a sigh, the green-haired woman lifted up the spoon beside the bowl and began eating her soup.

"How is it?" The Gym Leader inquired, resting her chin on her knuckles as she hunched forward. "It's not bad, is it?"

Cheryl shook her head. "No, it's very good… I've been…meaning to ask you… Did you…make this?"

"Ha, that's a funny one!" Gardenia laughed, leaning back in her chair. "I don't cook. One of the women back at the Gym made it for me!"

"Oh…I must be sure…to thank her then," answered Cheryl with traces of amusement. "…Once I get better…"

Gardenia smiled. As the other woman ate, she took to looking around the room instead. It had simple decorations here and there; nothing personal—being a guest room and all. _Oh yeah, she's not from around here, isn't she?_ With that thought, Gardenia turned back to look at Cheryl. "So how long do you plan on staying in Eterna?"

The emerald-haired woman set her spoon down. "Well…I was only going to stay…for a few days but…but with getting sick…"

"You wanna wait and see if your aunt's okay, huh?"

Cheryl nodded. "…I can't leave her alone…like this."

"I understand," said Gardenia, crossing her arms. "But…I don't get it. Why don't you two stay close by?"

Upon finishing her meal, Cheryl took the cup of tea back up again. She took a sip from it before answering. "My home is in…Floaroma…Town…"

"Oh, so you don't want to move, right?" Gardenia inquired, taking the tray up.

Cheryl continued speaking as Gardenia helped her lay back down. "Mm…I grew up there…"

"Wow, really?" The Gym Leader began in surprise. She paused as she held up the tray. "That's a coincidence 'cause I—oh wait, better get this outside first, heh."

Cheryl looked at the twenty-year-old curiously as the other woman left the room. _I wonder if she feels some familiarity… I certainly do, but I still can't say for certain…_ Ever since she met Gardenia in Eterna Forest, Cheryl could not shake the feeling that she had heard of her before. At first she simply thought that it was because of Gardenia's status as a Gym Leader, but now it seemed like something different. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. In any case, her illness was making the process of thinking a bit difficult. What she wanted to do right now was sleep. Perhaps she would be in better shape tomorrow…

"Alright, I'm—" Gardenia began, reentering the room. However, she quickly fell silent as she found Cheryl asleep once again. _I'm being really loud, that's what!_ _Better go…_

Back tracking, Gardenia closed the door quietly and headed back out. Grabbing the empty canteen, she exited the room and locked the door behind her. _Boy, wouldn't it be ironic if _I_ got sick too?_ She thought with amusement as she walked. _It'd be something then!_

***

Fortunately, Gardenia did _not_ get sick. She was able to go through he same thing the next day. After she got another canteen of soup (back to vegetable) from the aroma lady at her Gym, she promptly headed for Eterna Condominiums once more. (Naturally, the aroma lady and the school girl began to giggle again.) Once she had finished with her usual routine, Gardenia was back beside Cheryl's bed, waiting for the other woman to finish her meal. At the moment, Gardenia had something else on her mind.

"So…Cheryl…I was wondering if…"

The green-haired woman looked up inquiringly. "…Yes…?"

"…Oh, ah…nothing," The Gym Leader answered sheepishly. "Forget I said it!"

With a light shrug, Cheryl went back to her food, while Gardenia mentally hit herself. _Man that was low! You were gonna ask her for her aunt's flower! You _must_ be horrible!_ She liked to think that she wasn't in this for such a silly (totally _not_!) thing, but it was hard. She really _would_ like to have it though; after all, it was not common in Eterna. _Aw, great. I'm using her for a plant!_ No…that wasn't true. Sure, she hoped that getting the flower as a reward was a possibility, but no. She really did feel like she ought to help Cheryl. Upon realizing that her motives _were_ pure (mostly), Gardenia appeared back to normal. Of course, now Cheryl gave her an odd look.

"Er, what's wrong?"

Cheryl shook her head slightly, but she smiled. "…I just…thought that it was…strange."

"Ha, ha, never mind that, yeah?" Gardenia scratched her head. "Anyway, how're you feeling?"

"…I'm almost better now…I think…" The pale woman began, lowering her spoon. "It's thanks to…you…"

Gardenia smiled. "It's fine! I'm doing this because I want to!"

"Oh…but…I think I should…be okay now," Cheryl continued. "…Perhaps you should…stay at the Gym tomorrow."

At that, the twenty-year-old scratched her head. She _did_ need to make sure things were up and running again. It had been at least three or four days already. "Still, I think I'll come by anyway, uh…later. I need to make sure, you two are alright!"

Cheryl felt a rush of gratitude. "…Mm…thank you…Gardenia."

"I told you not to worry, remember?" The Gym Leader grinned. "Just get some sleep!"

Taking away the tray, Gardenia left the room while Cheryl sank back beneath the covers. Once she finished cleaning everything up, the Gym Leader decided to make one last check up on Cheryl and her aunt. Seeing as how both of them were now asleep, she headed for the door. It was then that she heard a buzz coming from it, informing her of a visitor. _Weird!_

"Yeah, who is it?" She said, pressing speaker. She heard a familiar voice on the other end. _Dawn?_ Realizing that it was indeed the fourteen-year-old, Gardenia quickly opened the door with a grin. "Hey, why don't you go ahead and come in? Make yourself comfortable!"

As Dawn entered, Gardenia paused and looked out the door for a second. _Does this mean that the Champion's with her?_ She wondered. Gardenia had nothing against the Pokémon League Champion, but after her earlier visit, she was reluctant in seeing the blonde again. _That wasn't a battle, it was overkill!_ She sighed wistfully. _But her Roserade was awesome! Boy, I'd give—_

"Uh, what are you looking for?"

_Er, right._ Gardenia laughed slightly. "Oh, nothing!" She looked back at the younger girl with a smile. "Anyway, I know why you're here," She said, crossing her arms. "How's it going?"

"Well, I got a Coal Badge in Oreburgh City," Dawn answered proudly. "And I caught another Pokémon!"

_Wow, she works fast!_ Gardenia's smile widened. "Great! Do you think you can win now? I'm not like ol' Roark you know."

"I'll try," Dawn replied firmly. "I've improved too!"

Gardenia nodded with a smile. "That's the way to do it." She motioned over to the living room and took a seat on the couch. The Gym Leader sat with her legs slightly apart, her elbows resting on her knees while she laced her fingers together. "I'll probably be back by today."

Dawn sat down opposite her. "Um, so are Cheryl and her aunt okay?"

"Oh, yeah…they'll be fine! It's just the bad case of the flu, that's all," answered Gardenia, looking fondly down at the flower on the coffee table. _Definitely not the reason!_ She reminded herself before continuing, "Her aunt passed it on to her."

"And she still tried to take care of her aunt while she sick too?"

"Well, with old folk, it's hard. Somebody has to do it!" Gardenia replied with a shrug. _She _is _crazy, isn't she?_ The Gym Leader smiled. "I stopped by to thank her and found her like that. Then I thought, 'hey, best way to repay a favor'!"

"So it's not for the flower? Or Cheryl?"

"What? Of course not!" Gardenia began defensively. _Oh great, she probably talked to those two gossip hounds first!_ "I have plenty of flowers back at the Gym!" However, she looked back at the plant on the table. _Oh, I don't mean it that way…_ "But this _is_ a fairly rare type. It doesn't really grow in these parts… I wonder if she got them from Floaroma… It's been awhile since I've—" _Whoa there, Gardenia! Remember your motive!_

"Um…"

"Oh, right…uh, yeah…" said Gardenia, snapping out of her plant monologue. _She's trying not to laugh, I know it!_ "Anyway, I told you! I thought that I'd pay Cheryl back for helping me out at the Gym."

Dawn smiled and nodded. "So she's better now, right?"

"Yep, her aunt's fine," answered Gardenia. "I just stopped by because it's hard for her to move around. Cheryl said that she should be fine after today. She's loads better now."

Having said that, the Gym Leader turned around at the sudden noise in the hallway; Dawn looked over too. Walking towards them feverishly was a certain viridian-haired woman. _Aw c'mon!_ Gardenia knew that it was only sooner than later that all the noise would wake Cheryl up. She mentally scolded herself for letting it happen. _Gosh, I'm supposed to be looking out for her here!_

She got up automatically and circled around the couch within five seconds. "What are you doing out of bed? I can't come back here every day, you know!"

Cheryl laughed weakly. "I heard Dawn's…" She coughed slightly. "…voice."

"Um, you don't have to see me, Cheryl!" The fourteen-year-old exclaimed, jumping to her feet. "You're still sick!"

_I'm definitely coming back _now_!_ Gardenia grabbed her companion's arm lightly. "You heard her! C'mon! You were getting better too. Do you want to make it worse?"

"…Ah, I'm sorry…" Cheryl answered, suppressing another cough. "Thanks…for visiting, Dawn."

Leaving the younger girl in the living room, Gardenia led Cheryl back to her bed. She made sure that the other woman was covered in blankets again before she turned to leave. However, Gardenia felt a tug at her sleeve, prompting her to look back. Cheryl smiled up at her.

"…Um…"

The Gym Leader sighed. "It's okay, get some rest."

With a short nod, Cheryl closed her eyes as Gardenia left. The twenty-year-old decided to take a peek on Cheryl's aunt as well, before returning to her 'guest'. She found the younger girl standing beside the couch. _I guess this is kinda weird…_

"Well, you saw her," She shrugged.

Dawn smiled. "She's lucky. You seem to be doing a good job taking care of her."

"Yeah well, maybe she'll think about giving me a constellation prize?" said Gardenia, looking at the flower on the table hopefully. She certainly wasn't aiming to say that, but the words came out anyway. _Er, oh wait—_

Dawn laughed. "I knew it."

"Hey, hey! I'm doing this with good intentions!" Gardenia replied defensively. _Give me a break, will ya!?_ "I really do want them to get better you know!"

"What about the Gym battle?"

"Don't worry," Gardenia answered firmly, deciding to disregard the fact that Dawn was smiling from ear to ear. "Come by in the morning at ten. I'll battle you all you like!"

With that said, the younger girl seemed to be satisfied. After escorting her out, Gardenia closed the door and sat down on one of the couches. She looked around the room for a second before scratching her head. _Hey, wait…why did I go back in!?_

***

The next day was much more eventful for Gardenia. Beneficial? Not really. First thing in the morning, she managed to get involved with Team Galactic because of Dawn. After that, she had to head back to the Gym in order battle the fourteen-year-old. She didn't mind that part, but she certainly could've done well without seeing the two Galactic Commanders want to kill them. It was already bad enough marching into the Eterna Galactic Building a few days ago. Gardenia imagined that Jupiter already wasn't too happy about that. However, she did understand what the Champion had told her before that. Keeping an eye out for Eterna City was sort of like her second job. She _shouldn't_ just sit around and let bad things happen; especially if she could do something in order to prevent them from occurring. Still, she would've been alright if the Champion _didn't_ trounce her in a match to convince her.

After her match with Dawn, the Champion was what Gardenia was curious about. The blonde had told her to disregard the reason why she was in disguise, but Gardenia couldn't help but want to know. She remembered the Champion telling her that Dawn didn't know the truth either, but Gardenia decided to give it a shot. She was on the verge of telling the younger girl who her traveling buddy _really_ was when they were interrupted by one of her junior Trainers.

When Gardenia looked down from the platform to see none other than Cheryl, she immediately forgot about the Champion. _What is she doing here? Isn't she still—argh!_ Running down the steps, the twenty-year-old stopped before the other woman with a cross expression on her face. Ignoring the giggles coming from the corner, Gardenia rounded on the green-haired woman.

"Cheryl! What if you get cold or—"

"…Don't mind me. I feel a lot better today."

Gardenia crossed her arms, but didn't say anything else. Once Dawn showed up, things didn't go any better for the Gym Leader. After a thorough teasing, Gardenia bid the younger girl a good-bye before turning back to Cheryl. Well, first she got rid of her miniature audience—the aroma lady and the school girl…or she tried to anyway. Cheryl wanted to take the opportunity to thank the older brunette for the soup.

"Oh, don't mention it. It's for our Gym Leader's sake as well," answered the woman, sporting another giggle from her younger companion.

Gardenia sighed. "Alright, alright…you've had your fun. Now go and water the plants!"

"Eh, but what about the automatic sprinkling system?" The school girl pointed out.

However, at the look that the Gym Leader gave them, the junior Trainers decided that it was time to leave. Once they were out of sight, Gardenia turned back to Cheryl, who was wearing a smile. _Don't tell me she thinks they're funny!_ The twenty-year-old sighed. _Luck isn't on my side today, is it?_

"Gardenia."

Her attention shifted.

Cheryl smiled. "I…really wanted to ask you… I was just wondering if you would come by for dinner."

"Dinner?" She repeated. "Er…"

Cheryl shook her head. "Once I'm completely better, of course. My aunt and I thought that we should…"

Gardenia scratched her head sheepishly. "Oh c'mon…you don't—"

"I want to."

The Gym Leader smiled. "…Then I'll gladly accept your invitation!"

Either way, it didn't take until Cheryl was fully recovered from her illness for Gardenia to pay another visit. The following afternoon, she ended up stopping by anyway. Now that both Cheryl and her aunt were better, the visit was much more exciting. Well, Cheryl's aunt grew tired early and ended up going to bed after dinner, but it was still more exciting than the previous visits.

The topic of conversation at dinner had mainly been about Gardenia, much to her chagrin. _Interrogation?_ While Cheryl herself had said little, her aunt had bombarded their guest with questions. Besides from knowing that Gardenia was the Eterna City Gym Leader, her aunt said that the twenty-year-old was a mystery; that almost made Gardenia laugh. After all, she _did_ think that she was a _little_ irresponsible; if she wasn't tending to the plants at Gym, she was out in Eterna Forest searching for grass Pokémon. She imagined that Cheryl's aunt only thought she was a 'mystery' because she was hardly around the city doing actual work. As a result, Gardenia was quite glad when the older woman bid them a good-night and disappeared back into her room.

At the moment, Cheryl was busy pouring herself and Gardenia some tea. The two them were situated by the coffee table, across from one another on the couches.

"You're aunt's sounds…nice," The Gym Leader said, taking up her cup. "She's really energetic for someone who just got better!"

The emerald-haired woman smiled. "I'm sorry she asked you so many questions."

"Ha, ha, I don't mind," Gardenia laughed. "But the way she was asking me all that—it was like she was about to give you to me or something!"

Cheryl set the teapot down. "She is a little overprotective of me, I'm afraid. We're the only relatives we have left."

"…I see," Gardenia said, bringing the cup of tea close to her. She studied Cheryl's expression for a moment before continuing. "No wonder you two are so close!"

The other woman nodded with a small smile. "She's taken care of me since my mother passed away."

"…Gosh, I'm—"

Cheryl looked at Gardenia lightly. "Please don't worry. It's already been a long time. I don't want to bother with it."

"…Heh, okay…" the twenty-year-old smiled. "I'm not gonna be nosy." Pausing, she also added, "But I _was_ wondering what you did, Cheryl."

Her hostess looked thoughtful. "Oh, I just help out at the Pick a Peck of Colors Flower Shop mostly. Sometimes I also assist the honey-makers in the meadow."

"Huh? That's it?" Gardenia said, lowering her cup. "You mean you're not a Trainer?"

Cheryl laughed slightly. "Well, I _am_ but I don't really take to battling too much. But I did attend classes like the other children back at the Floaroma Schoolhouse."

"Really!?" Gardenia exclaimed excitedly. "I used to go there too, y'know!"

Cheryl looked curious. "Oh, that must be why you seemed so familiar."

"Heh, yeah…" The Gym Leader grinned. "But I don't think we've ever talked."

Cheryl smiled. "I…didn't talk much."

"Aw, I'm sure I would've been happy to talk to you," Gardenia answered. She stopped for a moment, looking apprehensive. "…Uh, unless I did something to you back then…"

The viridian-haired woman shook her head with a laugh. "No, you were too busy doing your own thing, I believe."

"Yeah, that sounds like me," the twenty-year-old admitted sheepishly. "But hey! Imagine that, huh? I can't believe I didn't remember until now!"

Cheryl smiled. "I did not remember either; it was mostly just a feeling. I don't blame you."

"Oh man, but now I really want to visit Floaroma!" Gardenia said enthusiastically. "I haven't gone there for so long! It'd be nice to see what's like now!"

"…But what about the Gym?" Cheryl pointed out. "Can you leave again?"

At that, Gardenia folded her arms and gave it some thought. "Hm…I _think_ it'll be fine for a few days. Team Galactic isn't here anymore after all."

Cheryl exhaled lightly. "You're quite relaxed for a Gym Leader."

"Hey, I know for a fact that _Roark_ spends most of _his_ time in a mine shaft!" Gardenia argued. "And that all the _Sunnyshore_ Gym Leader does is fix his Gym!"

Laughing, Cheryl looked at the twenty-year-old with amusement. "I understand…"

"That's right," Gardenia nodded. An idea suddenly sprang to her mind. "Hey, when do you plan on going back?"

"Oh…well, in a few days, I suppose," answered the pale woman. "I just thought I should make sure my aunt was okay."

Gardenia smiled eagerly. "That's great! Do you mind if I tag along? I could use the days in between to get ready and everything!"

Cheryl looked slightly surprised. "Um, I don't mind—"

"Great! It sounds fun!" The Gym Leader answered with a grin. "I'll meet up with you in three days then!"

Cheryl nodded. "Okay…"

With that in mind, Gardenia decided that it was time for the green-haired woman to rest. After helping her clean up, Gardenia headed for the door. The instant she opened it, she was temporarily frozen. Before her was Dawn, walking down the hallway with a tall blonde man. They appeared to be going toward one of the rooms next door. Instinct took over, and she ended up calling out the younger girl's name.

"Dawn! What are _you_ doing with a _guy_ at this hour!?"

Peering over Gardenia's shoulder, Cheryl was also surprised. "Oh Dawn, I did not think—"

As the fourteen-year-old proceeded to defend herself, Gardenia found the situation extremely hard to take in. Dawn seemed like such a good kid! Like Cheryl had said, she didn't think that the younger girl was capable of doing this. Gardenia's eyes shifted to the male for a moment. He was taking something from a strange little bottle. _Definitely not a good idea!_ When the blonde draped himself over Dawn, Gardenia's mind froze. _I-is this what kids are like nowadays!?_ She stood still as the older man dragged Dawn away. _No way! They're serious!_

"…Gardenia…"

The twenty-year-old turned over at the feeling on her shoulder. Cheryl placed a hand on her and gave her a mil concerned look. "Maybe we should go after them…"

At that, Gardenia snapped out of her frozen state. "I know how you feel, but after—after seeing that… You heard what he said!"

Cheryl placed a hand to her face, worried. "Even so…"

It didn't take long for them to act. A few minutes later, the man returned. Instinctively, Gardenia stepped in front of Cheryl. "Wh-what do you want?"

"I just wanted to say sorry," He said, lowering her head slightly. "That was a bit over the top."

Gardenia blinked. "What?"

"I'm actually a relative of the woman she was with," The man explained. "She asked me to look after the kid while she was gone. They're both in the room right now."

_This guy is related to the Champion!?_ Gardenia thought. _He's so…shady-sounding!_ However, Cheryl seemed to believe differently. With a nod, she agreed with the blonde, causing Gardenia to glance back at her in disbelief. The man smiled. _Even that seems shady!_

"Oh, that is such a relief," said the viridian-haired woman. "We were worried that Dawn was that sort of girl…"

The man nodded and looked apologetic. "Yes, sorry for the misunderstanding. I only did what I did as a joke."

"H-hold it!" Gardenia interjected, causing both Cheryl and the blonde to look at her. "You're…you're really related to…"

The man met her gaze. He had a mysterious glint in his eyes that made her feel a bit uneasy. "Yes, I _am_ related to her. We're not from around here, so you must not have seen us too often."

_That must be the truth… He knows who that _really_ is after all…_ Gardenia nodded slowly. "Okay, then I guess that's good enough for me…"

"I'm glad," answered the blonde, smiling. "Anyway, I'm sorry for bothering the two of you. Have a good-night."

With that said, the male turned and headed back down the hall. Gardenia sighed. _He even acts like her!_ Honestly, nothing good seemed to come with associating with the Champion. Gardenia couldn't imagine how Dawn was so oblivious about all of it. However, she then reminded herself that the navy-haired-girl was a bit on the naïve side.

"Well, I think she will be okay then," Cheryl began, breaking the silence. "We don't need to worry anymore."

The Gym Leader nodded wearily. "Alright, I'll see you in three days then…"

***

"Okay, you two! Stop laughing for a second and listen to me, will you!?"

"…Ha, ha…Y-yes, Gym Leader?"

"Remember all of the things I told you! And be sure to take good care of the Gym! I'll be back in a few days."

"Are you positive it will only take a few days, ma'm?"

"…J-just go and do your jobs!"

Gardenia swung her travel bag over her shoulder and promptly marched away from the pair of giggling junior Trainers. _Dang it! They still haven't told me _why_ they think it's so funny!_ Honestly, she couldn't see what was so amusing about going on a trip with Cheryl back to Floaroma. She _did_ grow up there after all! For the past few days, Gardenia had been doing her best to dig up some of her past trinkets. She found her old yearbook (it was more like a picture book with only fifteen pages). Upon flipping through it, she found that Cheryl had indeed been in her class. Gardenia remembered vaguely that the viridian-haired woman er—girl, was extremely quiet and shy back then. _She still is pretty quiet…_ On the other hand, Gardenia herself had been an eccentric child. She usually did whatever came to her mind. _Er, I guess I'm not too different now either!_ Despite that, she still received good marks so no one minded _too much_ in particular. _Heh… _

As she approached Eterna Condominiums, the Gym Leader saw Cheryl and her aunt near the entrance. She began jogging up to them, watching as Cheryl's aunt fussed over her; when the two of them noticed Gardenia, they smiled. The older woman was distracted enough to give her niece a break, to Cheryl's relief.

"Good morning!" The twenty-year-old greeted. "Are you ready?"

Cheryl nodded. "Yes, my aunt was just making sure I had everything."

"Always so careless," said the elderly woman. "You be mindful, understand?"

Gardenia laughed slightly. "We'll be going together, so you can rest assured!"

"Oh, I know," The gray-haired woman answered with a smile. "I'm glad that you're with her. My dear Momi isn't much of a battler, I'm afraid."

Cheryl looked slightly embarrassed. "Aunt!"

"Oh yes…I remember back then I used to deliver you back _myself_," She continued. "But I'm a bit too old now to be dealing with Poké Balls…or any other type of balls to be honest! Ha, ha!"

Gardenia began to laugh, but when she realized that Cheryl had turned a delicate shade of pink, she decided to turn it into a cough instead. "Er…don't worry! We'll be fine! See you, alright?"

"…Um…good-bye, aunt," Cheryl added, giving the older woman a brief hug.

With that done, the pair departed the city. Neither said anything until they reached Eterna Forest. Gardenia immediately felt more at ease. This was really where she operated best. Glancing sideways at her companion, she watched as Cheryl looked around. The pale woman seemed as serene as ever. It was hard to figure out exactly what was on her mind. _She _is_ quiet!_ Gardenia smiled, causing Cheryl to look over at her curiously. _That's gotta change!_

"What's wrong?"

The Gym Leader grabbed the other woman's hand. "C'mon, I know a shortcut! We'll be there in no time!"

"A…shortcut…?" Cheryl was mildly surprised, but did nothing as Gardenia led her off the path. "Are you sure?"

"Of course! I know this forest like the back of my hand!" The twenty-year-old answered. "I told you and Dawn that the first time we met here, remember?"

"Mm…then…are you trying to avoid the Old Chateau?"

Gardenia faltered slightly, slowing down. "Wh-why would you say that? Ha, ha…"

"I think you told us something about it then," replied Cheryl, looking thoughtful. "You sounded like this too…"

The Gym Leader sighed. "Okay…you got me…" She looked off to the side. "I-I'm not a big fan of ghosts, alright?"

Cheryl blinked a few times. _So that's it._ "It's perfectly fine. Many people would agree with you."

"Y-yeah?" Gardenia began hopefully. "What about you? Aren't you scared of that sort of thing?"

"Hm…I don't think I would like them too much," Cheryl admitted. "But I have never experienced anything like that."

Gardenia nodded in agreement. "M-me neither…and I really wanna keep it that way!"

"So…you _are_ avoiding it then?" Cheryl inquired, knowing the answer. At Gardenia's nervous silence, she took it as a yes. It made her smile. "Um, sorry."

The Gym Leader shook her head and summoned up a smile of her own. "…No big deal!" To show that she was alright she swung her hand around. However, she paused. _This isn't mine…_ Realizing that she was still holding onto Cheryl, Gardenia decided to let go. "Aw, whoops! Heh, heh…"

"Its fine," answered the pale woman. "How long will it take if we don't take the path?"

Gardenia gave it a moment's thought. "Hm…a few hours, I think. Don't you wanna look around though? I know a few good spots around here with a nice view!"

"Okay, I'm not in a hurry," Cheryl replied lightly. "It sounds fun."

Regaining her enthusiasm, Gardenia took off a few paces ahead, motioning for the other woman to follow. "Alright, c'mon then! You won't be disappointed!"

Navigating through the foliage, Cheryl did her best to keep up with the energetic Gym Leader. She was quite successful so far, until she ended up getting tangled in a few over hanging vines. The green-haired woman was more surprised than frustrated. However, the more moved around to free herself, the more she seemed to get tangled. _Oh dear…_ She thought as she felt her feet lift off of the floor slightly. _I'm completely tied up._ Cheryl shifted her wrist slightly, but it was no use.

"Hey, Cher—"

From ahead, Gardenia finally decided to look back. When she found the other woman caught up in a mass of vines, she mentally slapped herself. _Slow down will you?_ Jogging back to her traveling partner, Gardenia scratched her head. _How'd she get into _this _mess? Ha, ha…and she still looks so relaxed!_ Indeed, Cheryl still appeared as if this was the most natural thing in the world.

"Uh…how're you doing?" The Gym Leader asked with a grin.

Shifting here and there slightly, Cheryl answered, "I'm…fine…"

"I'll say… Now, hold still!" Gardenia laughed, backing off and sending out her Turtwig. "Razor Leaf!"

Doing as it was told, the little green turtle shot out a few spinning leaves at the vines. Cheryl let out a gasp as she felt them snap, sending her back down. It wasn't very high, but she lost her balance all the same. Fortunately, Gardenia stepped up in time, catching the green-haired woman as she stumbled forward.

"Still fine?" She said, grinning.

Cheryl laughed as she straightened herself back up. "Th-thank you!"

"Well, now we're having fun, right?" Gardenia smiled. She turned back to Turtwig and gave it a pat before returning it into its ball. "Good job!"

Deciding to continue, Gardenia slowed down this time, walking at Cheryl's pace instead. It gave her the chance to point things out here and there along the forest as they went. To Gardenia's surprise, Cheryl knew quite a bit about flowers herself. She was perfectly capable of identifying some of the ones they came across. They also managed to see a few Pokémon as well. To Gardenia's disappointment, they were mostly bug type. Once or twice they passed by a Bug Catcher and a Trainer or two. Almost always they were challenged, but Gardenia politely declined for time's—as well as Cheryl's, sake. As hours passed by, they had visited three of Gardenia's favorite places in the forest. By now, it was past noon.

"Aw, we better hurry out of here or we'll never get back in time!"

Cheryl nodded in response, glad that the forest's exit was up ahead. She didn't mind visiting all those places in Eterna Forest though. It really _was_ a lot of fun. However, she knew that it was still a ways from Floaroma Town. They had to make the best of time if they wanted to arrive by nightfall. Either way, it was probably going to be late.

Along the way, the duo decided to make a brief stop at a small rest area run by an old woman. She offered to heal their Pokémon and sell them a couple of snacks and drinks. Gardenia took the opportunity to examine the map. _Okay, so if we keep going along this route then we'll reach Floaroma by…gosh that's late! Maybe I shouldn't have dragged her around so much!_ Folding the map, she decided to look around. There was a nice breeze blowing past. In the distance, she could see a giant windmill turning.

"That's Valley Windworks," Cheryl pointed out, following the other woman's gaze. "Oh, it seems to be working again."

Gardenia turned toward her curiously. "Why? What happened to it?"

"I'm not sure…but ever since Team Galactic came to Floaroma, it hasn't been the same," answered Cheryl. "They were causing trouble. That is why I was a bit afraid of traveling alone."

The Gym Leader nodded slowly. "…Maybe it's worth looking at when we get to town."

"Oh? You would?" Cheryl inquired with mild surprise. "That would be wonderful!"

Grabbing their things, the pair of women continued on their way. By the time they passed by Valley Windworks, it was already dark. Deciding that it was much too late to investigate, they figured that it was best just to head for Cheryl's house. The moment they entered the town, both of them were tired but surprised. For Gardenia, it was more out of nostalgia than anything. It was so strange seeing all of the familiar things; the flower shop, the beautiful scenery, and mostly—the schoolhouse. Immediately, she seemed to regain some of her energy. On the other hand, Cheryl was surprised because the town seemed fairly peaceful. For one thing, the two Team Galactic members she had seen by the meadow were now gone. The townsfolk appeared perfectly content once again. It made her wonder what could have occurred in such an amount of time for it to change.

"Hey, Cheryl!" Gardenia called out abruptly, shaking the pale woman out of her thoughts. "We've _got_ to stop by the meadow tomorrow!"

Smiling, Cheryl answered with a nod. "We can go anywhere you like tomorrow. Um, but maybe you would like rest at the moment?"

"Oh yeah, I do feel pretty tired," The Gym Leader admitted. "Alright, you lead the way!"

Walking along the streets, they eventually reached a small house close to the flower shop. There, Cheryl unlocked the door and let them both inside. Gardenia looked around. The interior was much like the outside; simple, small, yet cute. She was delighted to find that Cheryl had a few potted plants set up around the place. _Ooh, is that—no wait… Hey! What about that one!_ Cheryl watched the twenty-year-old curiously for awhile before realizing what it was that Gardenia was looking at.

"Um…you can go ahead and take the room on the end," She said lightly. "Just make yourself at home, I don't mind."

Snapping out of her daze, Gardenia agreed. "Thanks! I'll see you in the morning then!" As both women departed for their respective rooms, Gardenia paused. "Hey, wait. How can they still be in such a good condition if you've been away?"

"Oh, I have a friend at the flower shop that looks after them for me," Cheryl replied, looking back. "Perhaps I can introduce you to her tomorrow."

Gardenia nodded before entering her room. "Alright!"

***

The following morning, after having breakfast, the first thing that they did was visit the Pick a Peck of Colors Flower Shop. Gardenia was like a kid in a candy store. Her immediate reaction was to ogle at all the different flowers along the shelves. Cheryl decided to leave the Gym Leader be for the time being, and proceeded to greet the woman at the cash register.

"Oh, you're finally back!" The brunette exclaimed. "Did you have a good time?"

Cheryl smiled. "Yes, thank you for taking care of the house for me."

"Don't mention it," answered the clerk. She looked past Cheryl and at her guest. "Who's that?"

Cheryl followed her gaze. "Ah, that's Gardenia. She's the leader of the Eterna City Gym."

The woman blinked. "The Gym Leader, you don't say! How do you two know each other?"

"She used to go to the schoolhouse," explained Cheryl. "And she helped me back at the city. We decided to come here for a visit."

Realizing that the attention was now on her, Gardenia looked over sheepishly. "Oh, heh… How're you doing? I guess Cheryl already introduced me, huh?"

"No problem," answered the florist. "The name's Rosanne. Heard you're from around here, is that true?"

Gardenia nodded. "Yeah, I used to go to school here! Just like Cheryl!"

"Oh, to think that our town produced a Gym Leader, huh?" The brunette said impressively. "I've never been to Eterna City. You must be tough."

"You want to battle?" Gardenia suggested. "It'll be fun! Cheryl can referee!"

Rosanne laughed. "Sorry, but I'm not a Trainer. I just take care of flowers and berries!" She turned to the viridian-haired woman. "Why not battle Cheryl? She has some experience."

"…Oh, but I—" Cheryl grew uneasy at the idea.

Gardenia patted her on the shoulder. "Ah, forget about it! We didn't _really_ come here to battle! Why don't you show me a few of the plants you have around here?"

"Be glad to!" Rosanne answered. She motioned to a younger girl who was putting a few things away in the corner. "Clover, show our Gym Leader around the shop, will you?"

The short-haired girl stopped what she was doing and wiped her hands on her flowered apron. "Sure."

As Gardenia was given the tour, Cheryl turned to Rosanne curiously. "Is she a new employee?"

"Oh, yeah, she just came by not long after you left," answered the brunette. "She doesn't have a place to stay so I offered her a live-in job. She's a good worker." Rosanne laughed slightly. "And my sister's taken a liking to her so I don't mind."

"Odd… Holly was mostly friends only with a girl named Anna, I believe?" Cheryl inquired. "She usually doesn't attach to other people so quickly…"

Rosanne shrugged. "Well, I never seem to understand that girl. It took her awhile to get used to _you_."

Cheryl smiled slightly. "I suppose this is good then…"

"Yeah, I guess so," said the florist.

After a brief moment of silence, Cheryl decided to ask the other woman a question. "Oh, by the way, what ever happened to Team Galactic?"

"Ha, ha, you wouldn't believe it," answered Rosanne shaking her head slightly. "Old Sheldon claimed that some kid battled them and saved him! And Holly told me that Anna said the same kid rescued her dad from Valley Windworks."

Cheryl smiled. "Then I'm glad someone out there is decent…"

"Oh, come now, Cheryl," Rosanne began as matter-of-factly. "You know that our little town can't stand up to Team Galactic! We couldn't help even if we tried."

The emerald-haired woman's smile faded slowly. "…Perhaps…"

"Hey, Cheryl!" Gardenia began, approaching the pair of them. "Want to go and visit the meadow now?"

"Oh…well, alright," She answered. Cheryl turned to Rosanne for a moment. "It was nice to see you again."

The florist suddenly had an idea. "I think Holly is there right now on a picnic with her friend. Why don't you go and find her?"

"Sure, it sounds great," Gardenia replied. "Thanks for showing me around!"

When Clover handed Rosanne a white form, she grinned. "It's _our_ pleasure~!"

Having said that, the duo was out the door once again. Gardenia began telling Cheryl about all the things she ordered; flowers, potted plants, a few berry plants, you name it. The green-haired woman could already hear the cash register signs going off in Rosanne's eyes. _That's why she sounded so happy… Gardenia could hardly control herself when it comes to these things…_ She watched the Gym Leader go off enthusiastically, truly like an excited child. Once they reached Floaroma Meadow, Gardenia was in awe.

"Wow, look at all of them!" She exclaimed, running a few paces forward. "Aren't they just beautiful?"

As the twenty-year-old took off, Cheryl decided to look for Holly. Not too far away did she find the small girl, accompanied by a second one. They were a little ways from old man Sheldon's honey house, on top of a blanket swapping food, accompanied by a Pachirisu and a Clefairy. Deciding to leave Gardenia to her own fun for the time being, Cheryl approached the younger pair. Instantly, the livelier one of the two looked over.

"Hey, isn't that that Cheryl lady?"

The second girl turned. "…That's right."

"Good morning, Holly," greeted the pale woman. "Anna."

Anna smiled with enthusiasm. "Okay, now we can have a _real_ tea party!"

"…I hope you don't mind then," answered Cheryl, lowering herself down beside them.

Holly shook her head, taking a cookie from the middle and handing it to the older woman. Smiling, Cheryl took the gesture as a pleasant one. She watched as Holly's Pachirisu ran around in circles chasing its tail. She glanced over at Anna's Pokémon, the Clefairy, who also found the squirrel's actions amusing. _Funny…I think that the owner's personalities mirror the opposite Pokémon… _Once each of them received a cup of 'tea' (it actually juice) the three began to talk. However, Anna's attention suddenly shifted over to an approaching figure.

"Who's that?"

Cheryl looked over to see Gardenia, who stopped beside her with a grin. "Hiya! It's Gardenia. I'm a Gym Leader from Eterna City."

"Wow, a Gym Leader?" Anna repeated excitedly. "Are you really strong then?"

Gardenia crossed her arms. "Well, I guess it depends! My specialty is grass Pokémon!"

"Grass Pokémon?" Anna repeated, disappointed. "They're not very cute…"

Upon hearing those words, the Gym Leader looked mortally offended. "_What!?_ You _didn't_ just say that!" Plopping down between Cheryl and Anna, she quickly took out a Poké Ball. "Go, Turtwig!"

There was a flash of light as the ball opened, to reveal a small green turtle creature; its expression made it seem as if it was smiling all the time. The Pokémon looked around for a moment, peering back once to catch Gardenia's eye. When its owner said nothing, Turtwig took to romping around instead, joining Pachirisu and Clefairy. Gardenia crossed her arms and waited for the silly little girl to realize her mistake. Indeed, no sooner afterward, Anna let out a delighted squeal. _As I thought!_

"Wow, can I touch him?" She exclaimed, hopping up and running over to the three creatures.

Grinning, the Gym Leader nodded. "Of course! You need to appreciate how adorable grass Pokémon can be!"

"C'mon, Holly!" The little girl cried, grabbing her companion's hand. "Let's play!"

Cheryl exhaled with a look of amusement on her face. "Do you want some tea?"

"Huh? Sure," replied Gardenia. After taking a sip, she looked at the other woman oddly. "Hey, isn't this apple juice…?"

"That's right," Cheryl laughed. "I'm sorry if you wanted real tea."

Gardenia shrugged with a grin. "Juice isn't bad." She looked at the sky for a moment. "You know, this is one of the most fun things I've done in awhile!"

"Don't you have fun everyday?" Cheryl pointed out. That's what it seemed like!

The Gym Leader scratched her head. "Yeah, but…this is…relaxing!" She laughed slightly. "I don't know…I guess it's just a feeling."

"…You think so?"

"Yeah, just being here is calming, you know what I mean?" Gardenia replied, taking in the scenery. "I just remembered how it was like before I became a Trainer! It was…more simple."

Cheryl watched the other woman curiously. "Do you…plan on returning?"

Gardenia gave it a moment of thought. This place was where she first learned how to become a Pokémon Trainer; where she first gained an appreciation for flowers and plants. It had nice surroundings and a good climate; plus it was soothing. It was definitely a place where she would consider moving back to. Floaroma pretty much had everything she wanted! With the way things were now, the idea didn't seem too bad.

"…When I'm done then…yeah," She answered slowly. "But now? That can't even be considered!"

Cheryl's expression faltered for a moment. "I…I see."

"There are still a lot of things I have to do!" The twenty-year-old continued. "Not just as the Gym Leader, but as a Trainer too. There's no time to relax! I don't want to abandon what I've worked for."

The green-haired woman now looked a bit surprised, upon hearing her companion's words. "Um…really?"

"Sure, I love flowers and grass Pokémon. I'd spend all day running around looking for them in fact!" Gardenia admitted. "But I love battling too! There's a reason why I became a Gym Leader. It's not a job; it's something I _want_ to do!"

Cheryl smiled slightly before looking down. "I wish…I had the same passion…"

"Well, then you have to go out and find it!" The Gym Leader replied easily. "You're a Trainer too, right?"

"Oh, but…"

Gardenia shook her head. "It's no use if think you're horrible at battling! You haven't even given yourself the chance!"

"…You really believe that I can become a…a proper Trainer?" Cheryl began, meeting the other woman's gaze.

"Why not, right?"

Cheryl looked elsewhere. "After my mother passed away…I didn't feel…I didn't feel like doing much anymore…"

The next thing Cheryl knew, Gardenia had grabbed her hands with an maniac gleam in her eye. "Come back with me then!"

"H-huh?" Cheryl blinked rapidly, slightly embarrassed.

Oblivious, Gardenia continued. "I could always use another Trainer back at the Gym! Maybe if you see how fun it is, you'll get back into it! I can help you!" The Gym Leader smiled. "Besides, your Pokémon will appreciate it too, right?"

Cheryl stopped for a moment. After her mother had passed away, she mostly spent her time doing something quiet with her aunt. She had lost the energy to do anything else it seemed. Her Pokémon were mainly there to act as her shields in her opinion. How long had it been since she last had a battle? It was unfair to them. Her aunt had decided to disregard her actions, in hopes that Cheryl would eventually grow out of it as she got older. However, Cheryl knew that that wasn't the case. She simply lacked the will. Eventually, it was almost as if she completely accepted it. But here…what was this woman saying? There was really still something left for her…?

"Hey…Cheryl?" Gardenia began uncertainly. She flinched as she noticed the other woman seem as if she was about to cry, her cheeks slightly flustered. "E-er…I'm sorry! I—"

Much to the Gym Leader's surprise, Cheryl pulled her into a brief hug. "Thank you…"

"Um, no…problem," Gardenia answered, patting her companion on the back awkwardly before they pulled away. Then she smiled. "So…c'mon! I'll welcome you any time!"

Rubbing her eyes, Cheryl nodded. "I will do my best."

"Great! I really think it's a waste if you just sit around here anyway," Gardenia stated. "I hope Rosanne and the honey man won't mind if I take away their part-time employee."

Cheryl laughed. "No…I…I want go with you regardless."

"That's the spirit!" Gardenia said with a grin. "We'll whip you up into shape in no time!"

A voice suddenly rang out. "Hey! What are you two sittin' there for? Come and play!"

Cheryl and Gardenia looked over. Anna was waving toward them. By now, Parichisu had taken to chasing Turtwig around instead of its tail. However, it was having no such luck, thanks to the grass Pokémon's superior speed. Clefairy was hopping after its two companions, trying to catch up. Both Holly and Anna were doing the same—though with far less success; nevertheless, they seemed like they were having fun. With a smile at Gardenia, Cheryl got to her feet and made her way over to the younger girls. _Hey…_ Rising up, Gardenia joined them.

* * *

**  
A/N: **Well, there you have it! As promised, a bonus chapter! I hoped it was satisfactory. I still needed for it to stick to the general plot of the main story. I wasn't sure if I did Gardenia & Cheryl justice (Cheryl more than anything) but I tried my best. I did do some research in order to get their personalities right. Cheryl seemed a lot more outgoing in the anime, versus the game, where she was more calm and quiet (shy?), so I decided to stick to the game version. Gardenia was fine, I think, but that's just me! If you're into this pairing then I definitely recommend Episode 497 of the anime; you should probably watch it in Japanese though, as the English version's voices are cringe-worthy. *__* Anyway, I suppose that's all I have to say about this pairing. It's grown on me quite a bit actually!

And notice that it's titled 'Extra _01_', meaning if there are any other pairings that anyone would like to see, it might possibly be done. Feel free to give me a few requests; I'll consider some of them! ;3


	14. Mt Coronet: Thoughts On Practice

**A/N:** Tired. Exhausted. Here ya go. =__= Sorry if I missed anyone. It's not intentional.

_Magmarashi_ - Gosh, thanks a lot. I really means somethin' hearing you say that y'know. I think I really will go for a monthly update from now on. I glad you liked the chapter!  
_CladInPink_ - Oh, well thanks for bothering to review for this chapter anyway! Stick around.  
_Berry-chan _- Nice to find you here again. I do agree that the battle dragged on, but I really wanted to do Gardenia justice since she's actually grown on me. And feel free to message me 'bout your idea.  
_PurpleMew_ - Haha, do you normally read depressing things? Anyway, glad you like Mars & Jupy!  
_Sora-Hikari_ - Ooh, it's cool that I make you wanna play Pokemon. Thanks for stoppin' by!  
_Hello Moto_ - Thank you, thank you.  
_Nhame_ - A familar face! Thanks for the review.  
_Dux_ - Ha, I added Mars & Jupiter to make the gym battle seem less boring. I'm happy I got your approval; like I said, I wanted to do Gardenia justice. And ooh, I'll go back and check out the boo-boos.  
_pkmnshipfan_ - My man. (Woman?) You are on the money when you mention Appealshipping. I loooove conflict, so you can count on it.  
_Miko_ - Nice to hear from you after awhile too! Thanks.  
_Yasetsu_ - Of course I won't stop! Get lazy maybe, but I'm not gonna leave the story here to rot!  
_Giga-loan_ - Thank you for your comments. Go ahead and point out mistakes an what not. It definitely helps.  
_Regret_ - Golly, another new face! Thanks for bothering to review.  
_Elvegale_ - Yep, I'm gonna try and update every month.  
_Nartog_ - Thanks for sticking with me. Like I've said, I'm not abandoning the story!  
_Ashton Nauran_ - Gosh, everyone really likes GlistenShipping, huh? Looks like a winner! It'll take awhile to get there though. And I will include Marley in the story, don't worry.

* * *

**Chapter 12**

"Dawn, wake up. We have to go early."

The fourteen-year-old opened her eyes quickly, waking up in a start. Upon remembering that the male voice actually belonged to Cynthia, she sighed in relief. It was still going to take some getting used to. However, Dawn reminded herself that the blonde was in disguise for a reason. She should be grateful that Cynthia allowed her to come along in her mission. Dawn had recognized some red flags going off in the older woman's head the other day when she asked to help. It wasn't easy being a skinny, fourteen-year-old girl at the height of five two. _Well, I just have to show her what I can do with my Pokémon!_ Actually, Dawn was pretty excited with the thought of having Cynthia train her. For one thing, she had never really seen the blonde in a real battle before. It'd be interesting to see what she could do and what advice she could give. _I know I can change her mind! _With new found inspiration, Dawn got out of bed and headed for the bathroom to begin her usual morning routine.

In the kitchen, Cynthia was making herself some coffee. She glanced down the hall as she heard Dawn close the door. _Hm…I wonder if I'm doing what I should…_ She mused, taking out a cup. If you approached the problem with some logic, you'd know that it wasn't exactly ideal for her to be traveling with a little girl—_she's not that little_, and going against a national corporation. There was also the fact that what they were doing was a little sketchy in the first place. _Looker…_ Just _what_ was the detective up to anyway? When he had first come to her, he sounded desperate. Cynthia knew that he didn't really have a legitimate reason to go through with the investigation. Yet, she still chose to go along with it. And now, she was also dragging Dawn into the picture. If Lucian knew what she was doing, there was no way that he was going to approve. She could already picture him giving her one of his infamous lectures, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose. Cynthia knew that he always meant well, but he had this way of making her feel guilty that she could do without. Filling the cup with the freshly brewed coffee, Cynthia took her first sip. Even the warmth of the liquid wasn't enough to temporarily take her mind off of her predicament. She knew why she had agreed to go along with Looker on what could be a wild goose chase. She needed some excitement; it reminded her of her past experiences. Besides, there _was_ some validity to the detective's claims. From what they've seen so far, Team Galactic was definitely up to no good. It was just that no one was willing to stop them. The part that she couldn't exactly figure out was why she agreed to let Dawn go with her. It was dangerous, yes. She didn't know the truth. And Cynthia was supposed to know better; that the idea of bringing her along was just silly. However, a slight smile curved on her lips. _Then it must be selfishness…_

"Cynthia? Are we going right away?"

Upon hearing the sound of the younger girl's voice, Cynthia was taken out of her thoughts. She would just have to keep playing along… "Mm-hm. We want to make good use of our time. You ready?"

Dawn nodded, patting her shoulder bag. "Yep, let's go!"

"How about some toast for the trip?" Cynthia offered, pointing to the plate on the counter. Draining the rest of the coffee, she washed the cup. "It's not very far but I still think you should have a little something."

"If you say so," answered the younger girl. Taking the piece of bread from the plate, Dawn gave it a light coat of berry jam from the refrigerator. She studied the older woman for a moment. Well, technically she was dressed as a man right now but… "Ne, are you gonna wear that the whole time?"

Cynthia looked over curiously as she helped herself to some toast. "Why?"

Dawn thought about it for a moment. "I dunno, I just… I think I like you better when you're normal." She suddenly looked apprehensive. "And after what happened _yesterday_ with Gardenia and Cheryl…"

"Okay, okay. I get your point," Cynthia replied with a short laugh. "But I told you, I already apologized."

Dawn wasn't so sure. She half-considered finding the Gym Leader and her companion to explain what happened herself, but she eventually decided against it. No doubt that it wasn't going to be _easy_. Yes, it was probably best to just assume Cynthia gave Cheryl and Gardenia a full and reasonable explanation. Now she just had to get out of Eterna City as quickly as possible.

***

Luckily, neither women were present when she and Cynthia left. As they approached Route 211 in the east, Dawn took one last look at the city. It was onward from there. Once they passed through Mt. Coronet, she would be in Eastern Sinnoh, an entirely new frontier. Dawn quickly felt the excitement returning to her, and eagerly hopped on her bike. Cynthia opted for the skies of course, so they would be traveling as they did in Eterna Forest. However, before Dawn could take off, she heard a boy's voice calling out to her. The surprise nearly made her fall, but she regained herself and turned to face the male. She blinked, realizing that it was the boy from the bicycle shop. He was on a bike of his own, blue, and seemed out of breath.

"Y-you…thin…think…you're…gonna…leave—"

"Wait, breathe before you pass out!" Dawn exclaimed, looking at the boy uncertainly. "What's wrong?"

Taking in a deep breath, the boy jabbed a finger in Dawn's direction. His tone was accusing. "You were just gonna go! After what we said too, you liar!"

Dawn tilted her head slightly. _What's he mean? I know he's the—oh._ Remembering the last thing that she had said to the boy, Dawn felt silly. "Ah! I'm sorry! I just forgot!"

"That's _right_! You were just gonna leave without giving me back _my_ bike!" He shouted. "I told you I was only letting you borrow it!"

Dawn got off the bicycle immediately, looking apologetic. "I'm sorry! I really mean it! I'll give it back right now! If—if there's anything wrong with it then I'll pay, don't worry!"

The boy remained quiet, examining the older girl for a minute before answering. "Hmph, you really are stupid."

"Wh-what?" Dawn began defensively. "I'm giving it back and—"

"Exactly!" He replied. "Most people would've just run off already. You could've too!"

Dawn frowned. "So you're…"

"Yeah, I was just testing you," The boy replied, crossing his arms. "Gosh. I can't believe I owe you a favor."

"Testing me? What on earth for!?" Dawn exclaimed; a little irked.

He scratched the back of his head. "W-well, I wanted to see if it's right to give you the bike."

"…So you really are giving it to me?" Dawn began. "Because, you know you don't—"

"Yeah, yeah, I don't have to," The boy interrupted, looking bored. "But what am I gonna do with two bikes?" At Dawn's confused expression, he continued. "Mr. Rickshaw decided just to give me another one."

Dawn blinked. "Why?"

"What do you mean 'why'!?" He snapped. "It's because—"

"It was probably because he thought what you did for her was noble." Both Dawn and the boy looked over. Cynthia had decided to land back down to see what was going on. She got the gist of things. "Isn't that right?"

Slightly intimidated by the older male, the boy was reluctant to answer. "Who's he?"

"Oh, um…this is my friend, Steven," Dawn replied. "He's—"

"D-dummy! Just take it and get outta here!"

With that said—er, shouted, the boy pedaled away as fast as he could, leaving Dawn as confused as ever. She turned to look at Cynthia inquiringly, but the older woman simply smiled. "Oh c'mon, Cynthia! It's not funny!"

"I didn't say it was," The blonde replied.

Dawn frowned. "But then why did he over react like that? Maybe I should go back—"

To her surprise, Cynthia shook her head. "It'd be better if you didn't." As Dawn opened her mouth to ask why, Cynthia continued. "He honestly wanted you to have it. He just couldn't say that to you directly." She let out an incredulous laugh when Dawn still didn't catch on. "Have you ever had a crush?"

"Er—" Dawn faltered slightly. "What, seriously? You think that's the reason?"

"Mm-hm," Cynthia replied. "And he got the wrong message when he saw you with me."

"Eh, again!?" Dawn cried.

Cynthia laughed. "I'm sorry. I don't do it on purpose."

"Last night you did!" Dawn retorted. "And now—"

"Alright, we should just keep going then," Cynthia interrupted, calling out her Togekiss again. As she climbed on, she looked back at the younger girl. "Don't you want to start your training?"

Slightly disgruntled, Dawn climbed on her bike and pedaled after Cynthia from below. She felt a bit awkward as she did so. The last thing she needed was for more people to jump to conclusions about her and 'Steven'. Dawn couldn't imagine _why_ the boy would think that in the first place; Cynthia was older than she was by eight years. Then again, age didn't seem to matter too much to him, if what Cynthia said was true. _But…why?_ Dawn was going over the things she had said and done with the boy; she couldn't recall anything that would make him start crushing on her. _Gosh, that's why I don't ever pay attention to these things…_ Back then when she went to school in Twinleaf, crushes was something the other girls worried about. Dawn minded her own business; she was more focused on what the teacher had to say about _Pokémon_. She did hear one of her classmates whisper about her and Pearl. That particular rumor was silly; Dawn didn't take took much on it, but it _was_ a little embarrassing. Yes, it definitely wasn't her cup of tea.

"Something wrong?"

Dawn screeched her bike to a sudden stop as the entrance to the Mt. Coronet approached, startled out of her thoughts. Cynthia had dropped down from above, landing a little ways beside the younger girl as she recalled Togekiss back into its ball. Dawn looked at the blonde incredulously. _Who jumps off of a flying Pokémon!?_ However, she reminded herself that Cynthia was a secret agent. Stuff like this should be natural, right? _I can't let her think I'll get in way!_

Without giving a notice, Cynthia pointed toward the entrance of the mountain tunnel. "Anyway, let's go. We'll spend a few days here." Leading the way into the semi-darkness, she motioned for Dawn to follow. "I already restocked on supplies while you were asleep, so you don't need to worry."

"I wasn't," Dawn admitted, walking after her. "You _always_ seem prepared."

Cynthia swept her bangs out of her eyes. "Well, when you've been traveling as long as I have—"

"—because of your secret agent training?"

_Oops. Almost…_ Cynthia nodded. "That's right. You always have to be ready." She readjusted her black beanie. "It's also part of being a good Trainer. You can't rely on the same tactics all the time. You have to adapt to your opponent."

Dawn listened intently. "Un, I think I understand. So you basically you have to be creative, right?"

"Mm-hm, because there's always someone out there who's better," Cynthia replied thoughtfully. "No matter how strong you think you are. That's why you always have to keep working at it."

Dawn looked determined. "Don't worry! I'll do whatever it takes, so don't hold back!"

Cynthia laughed slightly. "Alright, we'll continue to hike up this way. When we get there, I'll train you as much as you like."

"Eh, we are we going?" Dawn asked curiously. Everywhere looked almost the same. She couldn't imagine going any deeper. What if they got lost?

"Would you be worried if I said that it's been years since I've gone there?" Cynthia countered. She smiled as she saw a jolt of panic cross the younger girl's face.

However, Dawn laughed shortly afterward. "I guess it'll be a good experience then. It won't be boring, that's for sure."

"Oh? That almost sounds sweet," Cynthia replied, patting Dawn on the head.

The fourteen-year-old sighed, batting the older woman's hand away lightly. "You _have_ to tease me now when there's no one around to misunderstand?"

"I only do it because it's fun," Cynthia answered nonchalantly. "And how do you know I don't mean it?"

Dawn scoffed, though she was mildly embarrassed at the idea. "You're a professional. You don't have time to deal with that sorta thing, right?" She grinned. "Unless the man on the phone that one time—"

"Absolutely not," said Cynthia. She crossed her arms and thought about it. She had been in a few relationships now and then in the past, but they didn't turn out as planned. Well, with training and all, there was really no time to bother with dating. "Anyway, I believe this is a short cut. Stay close."

_Score one for me!_ Dawn smirked. Judging by Cynthia's reply, she had just won a round of their mini-fights. At the blonde's change in subject, Dawn trotted after her into a particularly dark tunnel. She wasn't afraid of the dark—just heights, but it was still a little eerie in there. She could hear faint noises now that it was quiet; it sounded like Pokémon. Dawn nearly jumped when she felt something grab her hand. Upon realizing that it was just Cynthia, she relaxed.

"Are you sure about this?" She asked as the older woman pulled her in one direction.

"I don't see anything wrong with holding your hand. It's so you don't get lost."

Dawn turned slightly pink, but she was glad that they were in the dark. "No, I mean where we're going."

"I'm pretty sure this is right," Cynthia answered. She paused to look around for a moment before continuing. "Mm... It's the right way."

Dawn couldn't figure out how Cynthia could know that when there was so little light in the tunnel, but she decided to trust the blonde. She was surprised to hear Cynthia's voice again; the tonic had worn off, so it meant that they had been in the cave for more than an hour. After what seemed like an eternity in the dark, Cynthia announced that they were there. Dawn heard the sound of running water and saw a lighter area up ahead. Relieved that they weren't going to end up lost in the tunnels, Dawn took a few eager steps forward.

"Wait—"

Dawn felt a slight plummeting sensation in her stomach—a feeling that she hated, as her foot slipped off of the edge. Apparently the tunnel came to an opening along the higher ledges. A fall from up there would surely break one's leg or worse. Fortunately, Cynthia grabbed her and managed to pull her back in without too much of a problem. By then, the navy-haired girl was a little shaken; she felt stupid for being reckless. Hey, she was supposed to show Cynthia that she wasn't going to be dead weight! However, the older woman just seemed glad that Dawn was unharmed.

"You didn't hurt yourself, did you?" She asked urgently.

Dawn shook her head and got to her feet. "…No, I'm sorry. Thanks a lot…"

Cynthia exhaled, fixing her beanie. "Okay, just relax, alright? We're not in a hurry." At Dawn's guilty expression, she smiled and gave the girl a pat on the shoulder. "C'mon, there's a better way down you know."

Feeling a little embarrassed but better, Dawn followed Cynthia as the blonde walked down the slope. It led down a wide chamber that resembled a battlefield. There were large rocks here and there but rest assured that there was enough room for Pokémon training. Near the other end of the chamber, a spring was present, courtesy of the small waterfall above. Cynthia had been right. This was the ideal place to train; it was roomy, private, and had a good source of water. As they approached the area by the spring, Dawn noted remains of an _old_ campfire. The chamber must have been used in the past. Cynthia suddenly seemed nostalgic. Dawn watched as the blonde walked a little ways from her, taking in the surroundings. Noticing her own actions, Cynthia shook herself out of it and went back to the younger girl.

"What do you think?" She inquired. "It's worth it, hm?"

Dawn nodded. "Un, good thing you still remember where it was."

"It's my old training area," Cynthia replied, dropping down her bag. "I spent a lot of time in here."

"Do you want to start right now then?" said Dawn eagerly.

Cynthia shook her head, slightly amused. "Relax, remember? We need to set up camp first."

"Er, okay." Dawn set her shoulder bag down and began rummaging through her things. She paused as she came across the Pokémon egg, still bundled up in her scarf. "Ne, Cynthia…how long will it take to hatch?"

The blonde looked up from her own items. "Hm, I think it might be close. Look."

As she held the egg, Dawn felt it move slightly. "Oh, you're right! Wow, it feels warm too."

"Keep it that way," Cynthia answered with a smile. Pulling out the tent equipment, she also added, "Oh, why don't you let your Pokémon out? They could play around here. It'd help keep the wild ones away too."

Nodding, Dawn took out three Poké Balls and released Piplup, Luxio, and Ponyta. Immediately after being sent out, Luxio began sniffing at the bundle in its owner's arms, causing Dawn to scold it and pull away. The electric Pokémon let out a short growl before running off toward the rock formations nearby; much to Dawn's relief, Luxio still chose to stay in the area. As for Ponyta, it stood in place, pawing the ground a few times. After Dawn said it was okay to move around, the horse made a few sounds of acknowledgement and walked in Luxio's direction. On the other hand, Piplup chose to stay near the spring. Now that all of her Pokémon were busy, Dawn could focus on unpacking her things. With Cynthia's help, they had a tent set up in no time. Once the sleeping bags were laid down, Dawn placed the egg back into the safety of her shoulder bag.

"Whew…" Dawn sighed. "Now I'm just tired!"

"So you don't want to start now?" Cynthia inquired, sitting on a stone across from the younger girl.

Dawn got to her feet. "No! I can still battle!"

"I thought you'd say that," Cynthia replied in amusement, standing as well. She pointed toward the other side of the chamber, the side that was similar to a battlefield. "Bring your Pokémon."

Doing as she was told, it wasn't long before Dawn stood opposite of Cynthia, ready for a match. To her surprise, Cynthia really _was_ going to battle her. The arrangement was that Cynthia could only use one Pokémon and Dawn could use whichever she liked. That didn't seem fair to the fourteen-year-old, who thought that Cynthia wasn't taking her seriously. However, she decided to give in and go with it. Part of her really just wanted to see Cynthia battle. Dawn's first choice was Luxio; not because she chose it of course, but because it was the most enthusiastic. Apparently, it still remembered the last scuffle with guy-version Cynthia and the feline wasn't too fond of it.

"Are you sure you're only using one Pokémon?" Dawn asked again.

The older woman smiled. "I told you, I'll be fine. And please don't think I'm holding anything back." There was a daunting gleam in her eye. "Because I won't."

Dawn felt an increasing sense of excitement inside her but she wasn't exactly sure why. She knew that she could sympathize with Luxio right now, who was also eager for a battle against the blonde. "Okay, I'll do my best!"

"I only expect so." Cynthia took out a Poké Ball and tossed it into the air.

The Pokémon that appeared was strange…and a little frightening somehow. It was like a swirl of violet and green smoke; its face was contorted into a sinister expression. Dawn had expected Cynthia to use Togekiss so she was taken aback by the new Pokémon. It seemed so different from the brilliant and white creature that she was used to seeing. Upon examining it with her Poké Dex, she learned that the apparition was called a Spiritomb. It was supposedly imprisoned in stone for all the evil deeds it had committed. _That explains that weird rock underneath it…_ Dawn couldn't imagine why Cynthia would have a Pokémon like that with her though. In any case, it was her first time facing a ghost Pokémon; she knew what to expect with her school knowledge, but knowing Cynthia, there was bound to be a few surprises.

"The goal of this match is for you to evaluate your own strengths and weaknesses as well as test your resourcefulness," Cynthia explained. "You'll need it against this type of opponent. Make sure you pay close attention."

Dawn nodded. "I understand."

"Alright, Spiritomb use Shadow Ball."

As Cynthia issued the command, Spiritomb formed a sphere of darkness in front of itself and launched it toward Luxio. _It's so fast!_ Dawn thought in awe. Fortunately, Luxio was able to avoid the attack at the last minute. _Close…_ Luxio decided to attack back with Spark, but Spirtomb easily drifted out of the way. It tried a few more times but the result was more or less the same. _No good. I have to think of something else!_ As she examined the ghost Pokémon, an idea came to Dawn's mind.

"Luxio try and get closer!"

Closing the distance between itself and Spiritomb, Luxio clamped its teeth onto the stone base below the hovering Pokémon before leaping back. Spiritomb made an eerie noise, which Dawn hoped meant pain. However, Cynthia looked like everything was still under control. Dawn was surprised, but she remained determined. _Okay, the same tactic won't work again…_ At the same time, she knew that Luxio's electric attacks weren't strong enough to do any real damage. _I have to try anyway!_ Calling out to the black and blue feline to use Charge, Dawn prepared a strategy. Dashing out of the way again, Luxio began charging up with electricity. When it was ready, it attacked with Spark. To Dawn's surprise, Spiritomb took the hit. Though unexpectedly, it seemed just fine. Once the sparks faded away, the ghost Pokémon remained for the most part, unharmed. _No way…_

"But how can—"

"Training," Cynthia answered easily. "Now, are you ready? Dark Pulse."

Flashing purple for a minute, Spiritomb sent out short bursts of dark energy. The rings of violet light quickly hit Luxio, sending it to the ground in a complete daze. _You did your best…_ Returning the feline back into its ball, Dawn called Ponyta to the field. The horse Pokémon pawed the ground anxiously a few times but remained firm in its place. Hopefully fire would be more effective; Ponyta knew more attacks of its type than Luxio did. Dawn started off with Ember, which Spiritomb decided to dodge. _Good, that's just what I was waiting for!_ As the ghost Pokémon drifted out of harm's way, Dawn quickly told Ponyta to follow up with Flame Wheel. Running forward with its body surrounded by flames, Ponyta plowed into Spiritomb, causing the apparition to fly backward.

"Great, Ponyta! Now another Flame Wheel!"

Unfortunately, Cynthia had seen that coming. "Spiritomb, Shadow Ball."

As Ponyta charged toward it, Spiritomb responded with another sphere of dark energy. Unable to change direction, Ponyta took the attack straight on, which knocked it back on the ground for good. A bit frustrated, Dawn drew Ponyta back inside its ball and sent out Piplup. She was already down to her last Pokémon and Spiritomb still looked like it could go on for awhile. But no, she wasn't put onto the brink of giving up just yet; that was never an option. Piplup gave her a nod before turning to face its opponent. It didn't want to lose without putting up a fight.

"It's not too late to change Pokémon!" Dawn grinned.

Cynthia laughed slightly. "I'm glad you still have a sense of humor."

"Okay, Piplup—Bubblebeam!" Dawn cried. She wanted to start off strong. No more testing the waters.

"Spiritomb, use Shadow Ball."

_Perfect!_ As the attacks collided, it gave off a miniature explosion, which was provided the cover that Dawn was looking for. She quickly told Piplup to hide amongst the rock formations and fire off another Bubblebeam. If she couldn't face the ghost Pokémon head on, she had to use another tactic. Now that Piplup had something to hide behind, it could hopefully get the jump on its opponent. It'd also be a little harder for Spiritomb to hit it with Shadow Ball past all of the rocks. _And thanks, Roark, for the strategy!_ Maybe if she did what she did in her first Gym match, Dawn might be able to land a victory.

Cynthia smiled. _Now you're thinking._ Against an opponent that was stronger than you were, you shouldn't go head to head. A little stealth and innovation could go a long way. You had to use the environment—anything, to your advantage if you wanted to come out on top. "Spiritomb, go."

"You know what to do, Piplup! Use Bubblebeam!"

As Spiritomb prepared to strike back with Shadow Ball, Piplup fired off a stream of bubbles toward it. The attack hit its target, slightly disrupting the ghost Pokémon. While it managed to fire off the black sphere, Piplup had already ducked behind some of the rocks and moved elsewhere. The tactic proved to be effective; it worked again a few more times. However, Cynthia had already seen through the strategy. With a wave of Dark Pulse, Spiritomb destroyed a range of stone, forcing Piplup out of its hiding place. As the penguin Pokémon hopped into the air to avoid the damage, Spiritomb sent a Shadow Ball in its direction. Out of desperation, Piplup used Bide, flashing white as it took the impact. Unfortunately, the attack proved to be too much for Piplup to handle. Upon crashing to the ground, the water Pokémon made a slight noise before fainting.

As Dawn withdrew the little blue penguin into its ball, she was completely awestruck. _The difference in skill is way too much…_ She didn't expect it to this way. Now she understood why Cynthia never helped her battle with the Team Galactic goons before—they weren't worth the effort. Clearly, the blonde was on a whole other level. Dawn knew that she had a lot of work to do before she stood a chance. The odd thing was that she never expected herself to be so…helpless. When she battled Roark and Gardenia, she was able to hold her own, but now? She just got totally schooled. Though instead of feeling at a complete loss, Dawn was even more determined than before. She would try her hardest to improve, if she wanted to fight Cynthia again and win. _Just wait!_

"Well, do you know what you have to work on now?"

Dawn nodded as Cynthia approached. "Un, I'll do my best to learn."

Cynthia smiled. "Good, I'm glad that you're not the type to give up."

"Of course not! I want to win next time!" Dawn exclaimed. "I'll definitely get stronger!"

"See to it that you do," Cynthia replied. "I look forward to having an official match…"

Dawn grinned. "You can count on it!"

"Anyway, why don't we get your Pokémon healed?" Cynthia began, pointing over in the direction of the tents. "I can show you how to practice some more after."

Nodding, Dawn followed the older woman back to the area near the spring. Dawn sat down on a nearby stone while Cynthia took the one opposite of her. Taking out her fallen Pokémon, Dawn watched as Cynthia began explaining how to properly care for them. Once they were done, Piplup, Luxio, and Ponyta were at full health. Luxio was still rather bitter at the loss, so it decided to move off to the side; it lay curled up with its eyes fixed into a glare directed at Cynthia. Ponyta looked no different from before; still as mild as ever. Piplup on the other hand, seemed to be disappointed with its performance; it chose to sit near the spring, contemplating. _Aw, guys…_ Dawn frowned. She didn't want her Pokémon to mope over losing, but Dawn knew that even if _she_ got over the defeat, it didn't mean _they_ did too.

She approached Piplup and gave its head a pat. "We'll practice more later, okay? We're not gonna lose like that again!"

Piplup made a noise of acknowledgement, showing Dawn that it understood. She walked over to Luxio next and tried her luck. The feline let out a short disgruntled growl and turned away. However, as Dawn sighed and began to leave, Luxio gave her hand a lick. Smiling, she watched as it ran off toward the rocks and hopped on top of one, deciding to nap. Dawn looked over at Ponyta, who made itself comfortable nearby; the fire Pokémon had decided that there was no use sulking and chose to sleep it off instead. Feeling rather tired herself, Dawn looked at her Poké Gear watch. It was well past noon. Normally she was fine around this time of day, but the long hike through Mt. Coronet proved to be quite taxing. It wasn't often that she hiked anywhere after all.

"Ne, Cynthia…" She began, turning back to the older woman. "I think I'm gonna take a quick nap."

Cynthia smiled in response. "Go ahead. We'll continue this later."

"But what are you gonna do right now?" Dawn asked. "Walk around?"

"No, I don't want to leave you here when you're sleeping," Cynthia replied. "Even if your Pokémon are around."

Dawn scratched her head sheepishly. "Um, well…" A thought suddenly sprang to her mind. "Oh, why don't you change?"

"Change?" Cynthia repeated.

Dawn nodded. "Un! I mean, we're alone here. You don't have to be dressed as a guy. I don't think it's too comfortable, right?"

Cynthia took a deep breath, feeling rather constricted around her chest. "You have a good point." She walked toward the tent, but paused as Dawn held the flap open. "You're going in too?"

"Huh, why?" Dawn began curiously. "I'm going to sleep, remember?"

Cynthia looked elsewhere for a moment. _Bad idea. Now I have to think of an excuse…_ She frowned. It'd look strange if she said no; after all, they were both female. To be adamant in her refusal would make her seem really suspicious. Then again, if she changed out of her get up while the younger girl was in the room, she ran the risk of getting her _real_ cover blown. Cynthia glanced back at Dawn, who still looked interested at her reaction. It would have been so much better if the girl thought she was just embarrassed. No, Dawn was clueless. And Cynthia just realized that she should have gotten two separate tents. _So much for preparation…_

"Oh no, go on in." She didn't practice keeping a straight face in front of people for nothing!

As the opening of the tent closed behind them, Cynthia moved to the left side while Dawn took the right. She watched as the fourteen-year-old took off her hat and undid all of her hair clips. After taking off her scarf and placing her boots in front of her sleeping bag, Dawn sighed. She looked over at Cynthia, who was now rummaging through her belongings. The blonde looked like she was going over something in her mind. Her expression was somewhat rigid. Dawn shrugged to herself. She had no idea what Cynthia was thinking. Instead, she decided to fix her hair, pulling out a brush from her own bag. It wasn't too long before she got completely absorbed into the task; while she wasn't afraid of getting her hands dirty, Dawn still found that caring for her personal appearance was important.

Either way, Cynthia saw that as an opportunity. As the younger girl was busy, Cynthia yanked off the black beanie and her wig. She touched the back of her head for a moment, making sure that her hair was still neatly coiled up in a braid. The last thing she needed was for it to become undone. Pulling off a few the hair clips in front, Cynthia allowed some of her bangs to sweep back over her left eye. _Next is…_ She groaned inwardly. After unzipping the jacket and taking it off, Cynthia paused to see Dawn looking at her in amusement. For once, the blonde was slightly self-conscious.

"…What?"

Dawn shook her head. "Nothing, I was just thinking that being a secret agent must be hard!" She giggled. "I mean…y'know…"

Cynthia let out a sigh before promptly removing her long-sleeved shirt. Around her top was a tight-fitting band designed to flatten her chest. _Of course _it was hard to breathe! Loosening the straps at the back, she exhaled in relief as she felt the top release. Upon yanking the band off, Cynthia readjusted her bra. _I hope this doesn't have any _lasting_ damage…_ She thought with a grimace. Taking the shirt she had pulled out of her bag earlier, Cynthia slipped it over her head. She turned to look at Dawn, who laughed. Fortunately, the younger girl decided that she wasn't going to watch Cynthia change out of her pants. Instead, she flopped down on her sleeping bag and began to occupy herself with her Poké Gear. Once Cynthia was finished, she laid down as well, resting an arm across her forehead. She was prepared to doze off when she remembered that she was still wearing the green contacts. This was going to be a little harder to explain, but she needed to remove them if she wanted to sleep. The truth would have to do. _I don't think it'll matter _too_ much…_

"What's wrong?" Dawn inquired as the blonde sat up again. "Am I bothering you?"

"No, I just have to take out my contacts," replied Cynthia. She took out the case and got rid of the lens, blinking a few times afterward. She really didn't like wearing them at all.

"Hey…"

Cynthia stiffened slightly, but remained placid for the most part. "Yes?"

"Wow, your eyes!" Dawn began, getting up to take a closer look. She drew herself nearer to the blonde, in order to peer into her eyes. "I thought they were blue."

"…No, those were also contacts," Cynthia answered, looking back at the younger girl despite the little distance between them. She didn't want to seem avoidant.

Dawn tilted her slightly. "I think gray suits you best."

Cynthia found herself smiling. "Hopefully, yes. It's my natural eye color after all."

"Oh, you know what I mean!" Dawn laughed. She got back down to her sleeping bag and stared up at the tent's ceiling. "When do you want to wake up?"

Cynthia did the same. "Why?"

"I'll set my Poké Gear to ring," Dawn replied, grabbing the device. "You know, so we can practice again. You're sleeping too, right?"

Cynthia nodded. "Mm, then make it so that it rings in an hour." She paused as the younger girl punched in the settings. A sudden thought crossed her mind, making her smile. "So now you're perfectly fine with sleeping in the same tent? No dreams?"

Dawn turned slightly pink. "Well, we don't have a spare one! And I haven't had any dreams lately so…" She trailed off for a second before continuing. "…I think its fine."

Cynthia laughed. "Are you sulking? It's cute."

"I'm _not_!" Dawn began defensively. "I really am okay with it!"

"Then go to sleep first," said Cynthia.

Dawn huffed and turned to the other side. "So you can do something weird?"

"What do you have in mind?" Cynthia responded, facing the younger girl's back with a smile. "I don't have to wait until you sleep, you know."

_Wha—? Is she just teasing me or what!?_ Dawn felt her face warm slightly. "Stop saying such embarrassing things!"

"Fine, fine," Cynthia answered with amusement. "But remember, you thought of it first."

_H-hey!_ _That's—!_ Dawn mentally slapped herself. If _this_ was what she was going to have to go through with for the next couple of days, she wasn't sure if she was going to last…

***

Two days had passed since they originally arrived at Mt. Coronet. Over that course, they had done nothing but non-stop training. Cynthia was surprised how hard Dawn was willing to work. She woke the blonde up early each morning and practically dragged her out into the tunnels to practice. Cynthia didn't mind though. She was quite impressed actually. Dawn proved that she was an extremely quick learner. Her never-say-die attitude kept her going through even the toughest challenges. So far, Cynthia had the girl build up her Pokémon's battling experience by having Dawn go against the wild ones of Mt. Coronet. That might sound easy, but it wasn't. Most of the Pokémon here were actually quite powerful, having to survive in the tunnels for who knows how long. While Dawn wasn't always successful, she was always ready to try again. Her Pokémon seemed to mirror her spirit, which Cynthia explained that was the key to success. It was important to have a good bond of trust between the Trainer and his or her Pokémon. Battling together was like a contract, an agreement. Both parties had to contribute.

At the moment, Cynthia was asleep. After yesterday's training, which involved a particularly resilient Chingling, she was tired. It was about one in the morning when she finally got some rest after all. She had no clue what the younger girl was doing, but she knew that Dawn wasn't in the tent. Cynthia hoped that the fourteen-year-old was just overly energetic and that she wasn't getting old. Dawn had woken up earlier and headed straight outside. She did that _every_ morning. Two days had let her catch on with Dawn's habits. She _always_ got up before Cynthia and was _always_ the first to fall asleep. She also had to hug something if she wanted to sleep. For the past two days, that something was Piplup, much to the little blue penguin's dismay. When Cynthia pointed it out, Dawn confessed that if she didn't have anything to hold on to, there was no way she was falling asleep. The blonde found that a little childish yet endearing at the same time, so she chose not to tease. She also learned that Dawn didn't like people seeing her at her worst. The younger girl confessed that she woke up early so that she could make herself look presentable. Cynthia found that amusing, but she understood. While they might have shared a tent, they still gave each other the proper amount of privacy. Cynthia was grateful for that, lest she wanted her cover completely blown.

Cynthia shifted to her side. It really was uncomfortable sleeping with her hair coiled up, but she knew that taking it down was an absolute no-no. Even an idiot would be able to recognize her then. Luckily, those from Western Sinnoh didn't come across the Pokémon League members too often in the media. As she was right now, Cynthia was sure that someone living in Eastern Sinnoh would figure out who she was in no time flat. That's why she was grateful that Looker had decided to give her an alternate disguise. After this whole Team Galactic thing was over, she'd have to ask him to keep it. _Maybe then I can get away again… _She sighed. What she'd give for a decent night's sleep—

"Hey, Cynthia, wake up! Hurry!" _Oh, the irony…_

Upon hearing the younger girl shout, Cynthia jolted up from her sleeping bag and looked over. Dawn had burst through the tent and set the Pokémon egg in front of her, looking excited. Cynthia's eyes went to the egg, which was shaking and making little noises. _Ah, it's hatching._ She watched as the little creature inside slowly cracked itself out of the shell and emerged. Togepi gave a chirp as its head popped out and its eyes settled on Dawn, who looked absolutely amazed. She held up the tiny white Pokémon gently and presented it the older woman.

"Wow! That was my first time seeing a Pokémon egg hatch!" Dawn exclaimed. "He's so cute!"

Cynthia smiled. "Mm. It's called a Togepi. Be sure to take good care of him. Younger Pokémon are a bit delicate at first."

"You're giving him to me?" Dawn asked, surprised. "But—"

Cynthia shook her head. "Have you heard of imprinting? Newly hatched Pokémon usually make a connection to the first person they see."

"So you're saying…"

"Ha, yes. He probably won't like it when he's away from you," Cynthia replied. "Here, watch." Relieving Dawn of the Pokémon, Cynthia held it for a moment. It wasn't long before Togepi began to tear up and protest. "Proves my point, doesn't it?" The blonde laughed, passing it back to her.

Dawn was surprised when Togepi stopped crying almost immediately. "Wow… So will he be like that always?"

"No, I don't think so," answered Cynthia. "As he grows up, he'll eventually get used to other things." She smiled. "But in the mean time, have fun playing mommy."

"H-hey! Is that why you—" Dawn paused as Togepi chirped happily in her arms. "U-um, well…I guess its fine…"

Cynthia laughed. "Don't worry; I'll lend you a hand."

"Hey, that reminds me of this one time in school," Dawn began, looking down at Togepi. "I had to do something like this with Pearl."

Cynthia raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"

"We had to learn how to care for Pokémon eggs with a partner," Dawn explained. Remembering it now, Pearl wasn't the ideal choice. "I ended up doing most of the work since my best friend couldn't be trusted."

"Is your friend clumsy?"

Dawn laughed. "He's like an accident waiting to happen! But I made him buy me lunch for a week in exchange, so it was all good."

"Well, I'll try and be careful," Cynthia replied with a smile. "So you won't have to do this by yourself."

"Gee, thanks a lot, _dear_!" Dawn joked. She held up Togepi again and moved it around. "But we're gonna have a few problems if he doesn't like you."

Cynthia moved closer to look at the Pokémon. "I guess you have a point… Hm, don't worry; I'm sure he'll adjust eventually." She smiled. "Anyway, I'll get dressed so we can continue training."

Nodding, Dawn grabbed Togepi and exited the tent. As she went out, Piplup, Luxio and Ponyta came up to her, interested in the creature she was carrying. Dawn introduced Togepi to the rest of her team. Surprisingly enough, Togepi didn't cry, even as Luxio sniffed it. Dawn lowered the Pokémon down to about Piplup's height, allowing the two of them to make an exchange. By the time she stood back up, Cynthia was done. Again, Dawn battled the wild Pokémon as the blonde gave her advice. Togepi seemed fascinated at first, but ended up falling asleep in Dawn's arms as the rounds passed. Soon enough, Cynthia announced that it was time for dinner.

"How long will we stay here?" Dawn asked as they ate.

"Hm…maybe another day or so," replied Cynthia. "Or do you want to leave earlier? This training isn't for me, so it's entirely up to you."

Dawn shrugged. "I've already lasted this long. One more day wouldn't hurt."

"You make it sound like it's a bad thing," said Cynthia, drinking from her cup of water.

"Oh, that's not what I meant," Dawn replied. "Aside from the _conditions_, it's actually okay."

Cynthia laughed. "If I didn't see you hard at work, I would've thought you were a total city girl."

"W-well who likes to live so ruggedly?" Dawn began defensively. "I don't mind training but… Oh, I just rather keep out of dirt and sand, alright?"

Cynthia patted the younger girl on the head. "Okay, I got it. You can stop pouting."

"Am not!"

"Are too."

"Are you really gonna argue with me like this!?"

"No, but if we _were_ arguing, I'd win."

Dawn crossed her arms in a huff, which made Cynthia smile even more. Deciding to change the subject, Dawn went back to looking after Togepi. From behind her, she felt Ponyta get up for a drink; almost instantly, her source of warmth vanished. To her left, Luxio was curled up in a ball, sleeping after it had finished with its meal. Piplup sat on her right, watching as Dawn played with Togepi. She looked over at Cynthia, who just came back from the tent, holding a small book. Dawn grew curious as the blonde sat down opposite her and began writing.

"Is that a diary?" Dawn asked, hoping that it wasn't rude.

Cynthia shook her head. "Not really. It's more like a traveler's journal. I kept one when I—" She smiled after the pause. "…when I went around."

"Oh, that sounds kind of fun!" Dawn commented. "Maybe I should do that too!"

"You can," answered Cynthia. "It helps you remember what you've done and the things you've seen. I haven't written in it for the past few days, so I have to catch up."

"Aw, that means that I have a lot to write about…" said Dawn with a slight frown.

Cynthia thought about it for a moment before answering. "I'll tell you what," She began. "Why don't you start in this one? It's fairly new."

"You're giving me another thing?" Dawn asked in disbelief. "Isn't that kind of personal?"

Cynthia laughed. "And you're refusing again?" At the younger girl's expression, she smiled. "It's really no big deal."

"Hm…I have a better idea."

Cynthia was interested. "Oh? And what's that?"

"Why don't we share?" Dawn suggested brightly. "We're traveling together anyway!"

"Hm…that sounds fair," Cynthia replied with a nod. "Alright, it's a deal. We can take turns writing in it." She handed Dawn the book. "And now can be your first time."

"Hey…" Despite her tone, Dawn took it with enthusiasm. When Cynthia tossed her the pen, she began going over their activities for the past few days. _Let's see…_

As Dawn scribbled away, Cynthia watched the fire in the center. Apart from having to keep up with her disguise, this was actually quite relaxing. She couldn't remember when was the last time she had a chance to do what she liked. Right now things seemed a whole lot simpler. It was like that before, when she was still in training. Here was where she practiced. That time seemed closer now, despite it being in the past. _A bit melancholy, I suppose._ Oh, how fun it would be to return to being a carefree Trainer! Being Champion came with too much pizzazz. It was hard to be yourself when everyone else had already formed an image of who you were. You had high expectations to live up to. Here in this tunnel, she was just plain old Cynthia again, not the Sinnoh League Champion. She glanced over at the younger girl. She had half a mind to tell her the truth…but it was a lot easier to pretend than to go back to reality. Who knew how long this would last anyway? Cynthia let out a sigh. This would stop eventually. It was only a matter of time. She just avoided thinking about it. _Would it make a difference?_ Really, it was probably better if she left Dawn to continue her journey on her own; Cynthia would then be free to go directly to Team Galactic. Why did she insist in hanging around then? Again, she found herself looking at the fourteen-year-old. _Something might be off…_

Dawn looked up and smiled, which made Cynthia do the same. "Okay, I'm done! Do you want to read it?"

"…Sure, if you don't mind reading it to me," the blonde answered.

Dawn scratched her head. "Oh, that's kinda embarrassing…" Nevertheless, she grinned. "Eh…alright, I will."

Cynthia nodded in response, but tuned out just as the younger girl began to read. She found it a little hard to pay attention…though that wasn't to say that she was looking somewhere else. A sigh escaped her lips. _No, something is _definitely_ off._ Maybe she was just having one of those days. It happens to the best of everyone, right? _I do _not_ have a problem. No._

***

By the time they left Mt. Coronet, both of them wanted to go to a city. Supplies were dwindling and being cooped up in a cave for too long wasn't very fun. It took awhile of convincing, but Cynthia managed to get Dawn to agree to flying. If they flew, it would only take a few hours to reach Hearthome City, versus days on foot. So early in the morning, they made their way out of the tunnel and into the sky. As usual, Dawn kept her eyes shut and herself pressed against the older woman's back. It was a little constricting, since Cynthia was back to wearing her Steven disguise, but she didn't mind for the most part. She just made sure to remind the younger girl to loosen her grip once it got a bit intense. It was usually when she decided to tease Dawn a little by having Togekiss do something crazy—like go a little over 5 mph.

After an hour or two passed, Dawn found it a little difficult to keep her eyes closed. Hey, it was boring! Once or twice she took a peek. Seeing a cloud pass by wasn't too bad. She just couldn't look down. The breeze actually felt quite nice. Once Cynthia promised not to do anything extreme, Dawn relaxed slightly. The sky seemed even larger now. She could only imagine what it was like below—scratch that. She _didn't_ want to imagine what it was like down there. Dawn knew that it was only suicide if she took her eyes off of the clouds rolling past. That weightlessness sensation? No, she still didn't like it. When Cynthia finally told her that they were there, Dawn was thoroughly relieved. She preferred to ride her bicycle, thank you very much.

As Cynthia recalled Togekiss back into its ball, she gave Dawn an amused look. "Was it really that bad?"

"My bottom is numb, my hands are stiff, and I'm shaking," The younger girl replied in exhaustion.

Cynthia laughed and gave her a pat on the head. "Well, we're here now. You can get some rest once we get a room."

Nodding, Dawn followed Cynthia as the blonde led the way toward the city gates. They paused once so Cynthia could take a few drops of tonic. Dawn inwardly sighed. She just _knew_ nothing good came when Cynthia was 'Steven'. Sure enough, a pink creature shot out toward her the instant she stepped into the city. While she was caught off guard, Dawn managed to catch the small Pokémon in her arms. It mewed a few times but relaxed as she stroked it. Almost immediately following cat-like creature was a woman dressed in pink. She was breathing hard; Dawn couldn't imagine how she could run around in heels. As the woman approached her, she looked grateful, much to Dawn's relief.

"…Oh…goodness! Thank you…for catching…my…Skitty…"

Dawn smiled. "Um, maybe you should catch your breath, ma'm."

The brown-haired woman nodded. When she was recovered, Dawn passed her Pokémon back to her. "Ahem, like I said, thank you very much."

"Um, you're welcome?" Dawn replied sheepishly. "But it was an accident, really."

The woman waved her hand. "Nonsense! If it weren't for you, I'd still be chasing her all over town!" She smiled brightly. "Anyway, I have to run. You're a trainer aren't you?"

"Un…"

The woman looked happy. "Good! Why don't you stop by the Contest Hall later? I'll be sure to thank you properly!"

With that said, the woman took off, Skitty in tow. Dawn scratched her head. _Gosh…she can move pretty fast in heels!_ Turning back to look for Cynthia, she found that the blonde was not too far away. At the moment, she was surrounded by three school girls, desperately trying to get rid of them. When she made eye contact with Dawn, the fourteen-year-old got the message and approached. The other girls instantly became hostile, much to Dawn's annoyance. This was one of the things she hated about school.

"What do you want?" The dark-haired one snapped.

Her companion also spoke up. "You're not in our classes!

"Yeah, so buzz off!" The third girl added.

Dawn opened her mouth to say something, but Cynthia quickly stepped past the other three and whispered in her ear. "Can I pretend to kiss you?"

Turning pink, Dawn moved back slightly, only to have the blonde hold onto her hand and keep her in place. "W-where? I-I mean, what!?"

_Oh, alright. I'll spare you the humiliation._ Smiling, Cynthia turned around to face the other three girls. "Sorry, but I like I told you, I'm already with someone."

"You can't be serious!" The first girl cried disdainfully.

The brunette wrinkled her nose. "I know! She looks so plain!"

"You'd be better off with someone else!" Her friend said haughtily.

"Actually, I prefer someone like her," Cynthia answered lightly. "Girls who jump at the first guy they spot… I think I _might_ find more than three." She put on a false smile. "I'll be sure to give them I try when I'm _desperate_."

Embarrassed and unable to find a suitable response, the trio of school girls turned on their heels and quickly left. A few people looked back and forth at the commotion, but their interest died down fast. Sighing, Cynthia released her grip on Dawn's hand. Maybe it was a bad idea to wear this after all. It really wasn't the girls' fault; she just felt that they went too far when they spoke to Dawn. Her response to that came out almost automatically. She wasn't going to let it slide. However, the younger girl turned to Cynthia in disbelief. This was exactly what she was afraid of! Dawn knew that it was only a matter of time before _something_ happened. Thank god it just wasn't in front of that woman from earlier, or she probably would have gotten the wrong idea too.

"Just _what_ was that!?" She exclaimed.

"While you were doing that, one of them asked me about something," Cynthia explained, looking quite sullen. "Then it got a little out of hand."

Dawn faltered. "…Um…well, then…"

"Sorry. I won't do it again," Cynthia began. "I know you don't like it—"

Dawn waved her hands. "Oh no, it's not really your fault!" _This time_. She mentally noted. "It's over now so don't worry about it!" At the blonde's expression, she smiled. "C'mon! I'm serious!"

With a nod, the pair continued down the street in silence. That was not really out of awkwardness for Dawn, since she busied herself with taking in the sights. Though for Cynthia, she was indeed thinking about something else. As an orange and white building came into view, they decided to stop by the Pokémon Center first before heading over to a hotel. After getting her team healed, Dawn followed Cynthia back outside toward a large building down the street. Seeing the size of the place, Dawn was a little iffy about the room fees, but Cynthia insisted that it was perfectly fine. Once the blonde had settled everything with the receptionist, they took the elevator upstairs. Standing before opposite rooms, Dawn chose to speak first. "I'll meet you back in the lobby once I'm done washing up, okay?"

Cynthia agreed. "Alright."

_Weird?_ Dawn shrugged to herself as she closed the door behind her. She really hoped that the older woman didn't take too much out of earlier. She was actually grateful that Cynthia stood up for her. While she could do without the misunderstandings, there was no doubt that things were…interesting. Dawn usually took things lightly anyway; it was just how she had always been. Either way, she set her belongings down and proceeded to take a nice warm shower. It felt extremely pleasant after nothing but cold water from the spring. _I guess this is what mom meant when she told me to appreciate things I have!_ She thought with a smile as she got dressed. Thinking of her mother made Dawn a little homesick. Sure, traveling was exciting, but home was home, you know?

Taking one last glimpse at herself in the mirror, Dawn grabbed her bag and took the elevator down to the lobby. She found Cynthia sitting next to an old man in deep conversation. "Hey! Are you ready to go?"

Getting up, Cynthia quickly excused herself from the man, who gave her a wave. "Oh, yeah. Let's go."

"What were you talking about?" Dawn asked curiously.

"Battle stories," Cynthia replied as they stepped outside. "He said he used to be really good when he was young."

Dawn nodded slowly. "Does he still battle now?"

"No, not any more," said Cynthia with a shrug. "But I don't think age is any excuse. I know a woman who still battles like she's in her prime—and she's well above fifty."

"I'll try to be like that then!"

Cynthia smiled. "Great. I'll look forward to battling you when you're seventy." As Dawn laughed, she brought up a more serious matter. "Anyway, where to? Are you going to challenge the Gym Leader yet?"

The younger girl shook her head. "I think I'll save that for tomorrow. Why don't we walk around—" She remembered something. "Oh, wait! I have to go to the Contest Hall. That lady back there told me to meet her there."

"Alright, c'mon," Cynthia answered, leading the way. "If I remember, it's down this street."

Indeed, it wasn't too long before they reached the grand stadium. Dawn looked up at the structure in awe. She could hear different sounds on the other side; it seemed so interesting! Forgetting the real reason why she was there, Dawn went inside eagerly, with Cynthia behind her. She took a stroll around the place, passing by different people with their Pokémon. Some were giving their partners round colored cakes, which she recognized as poffins. Others were practicing a few moves; it looked a lot different from battling. This seemed like it took more dazzle than strength. _They must all be coordinators!_ Dawn thought with excitement. _I've always wanted to try since Zo—_

"There you are, girl!"

Dawn looked over as she felt a hand close around her arm and drag her past the crowd. It was the woman in pink from earlier. She looked a lot better now. The woman beamed as she examined the younger girl. "This is great isn't it? I do hope you'll enter one of the contests!"

"Um well, I was gonna—" Dawn paused in mid-sentence as she saw a familiar navy-haired woman approach her. "M-mom!?"

* * *

**  
A/N:** As usual, tell me what you think! Personally, I'm not _too_ satisfied with this chappy, but that's just me. Feel free to point out any typos. I don't have a beta and I hardly proofread. Sorry for the lack of enthusiasm. Reeeally tired right now. D; Oh, but thank you everyone for reviewing the extra chapter. It makes writing it worth while! X3 There'll definitely be more side pairings in the future. Now to sleep.

_Next: Forget her mom! Dawn gets an unexpected meeting from an old friend. Their encounter makes Cynthia finally realize something important. Wait, what's with all the drama? What about Fantina!?_


	15. Hearthome: Just A Friend

**A/N:** Ah, sorry for not updating as quickly. I wasn't quite sure where I wanted this chapter to go. I'll definitely try to make improvements in the future, like when it comes to planning things out and grammar. If you have any in depth questions or suggestions, feel free to message me. I could actually use the advice. Anyway, enjoy!

_pkmnshipfan_: Thanks for the input! Hopefully you'll like this chapter. Oh, I'm also glad you mentioned Eevee. I would've totally forgotten!  
_Nhame_: Nice of you to stop by!  
_Berry-chan_: Glad you liked the previous chappy! It'd be harder for Dawn to get Cynthia, but maybe you'll enjoy the bit in this chapter?  
_CladInPink_: Ha, Steven is necessary for now but that'll definitely change in the future!  
_Magmarashi_: Oh, your comments mean a lot, thanks. I try to write so that you _can_ visualize it, so I'm glad you think so.  
_Sora-Hikari_: I don't watch the show anymore either so my knowledge of Zoey comes mostly from fan stuff. And contests are a little iffy but I'll give it a try anyway.  
_darkness fear_: Well, thanks for deciding to review! It's nice to be appreciated.  
_Hello Moto_: Thank you for saying that! I strive to write the characters properly.  
_Dux_: Ack, thanks for pointing that out! And this chapter is more character interaction than anything, so drama is aplenty. Oh, and I actually think writing Fantina is super fun.  
_Regret_: Lol. You really _are_ a total fan-girl, aren't you?  
_Yasetsu_: Funny thing is, I never really liked Togepi! Uh, but thanks for reviewing.  
_Joukai_: You are the awesomest person ever. I _know_ I'm really careless when I type so I really needed someone to be thorough. I'll do my best to improve, but I plan to go back at the end when I'm done with the fic and fix _everything_ up then. For now, I just need input and corrections, things like that. It'd be great if you'd continue looking for things like that. Ah, your praise is also meaningful. Thank you or that. OH. I don't watch the show so I was curious as to who Ursala was. Checked her out and thought she was totally cool, so I'll chalk that up as a 'maybe'. Love square reminds me of Korean dramas.  
_ch3lsk0_: Thanks for reviewing! I'm happy that you like everything so far. The time that they've been going together is a bit sketchy though. I don't want to get _too_ technical about it!  
_Passerby_: Ooh, thank you for you input. I'm not afraid to take crique one bit, so it's a-ok. In fact, it's helpful! Anyway, love pentagon? That's a new one! Lol. But rest assured. There will be romantic conflict AND GlistenShipping.  
_shirai/Biri-Biri_: Thanks for deciding to review. It's nice to know!  
_ElectricSpectre_: Hope you like this chapter then!  
_Jesus_: Ha, oh man. Thanks a lot, Jesus. Your review reminded me of my sacred duty. Lol. And I was totally crazy for HG/SS. You know it!  
_Anon-user_: I'll call you that 'cause it's shorter! But uh yeah, I want to have decent amount for each chapter since I don't update frequently. At first I usually wrote about 5000-7000 I think, but the later chapters are well above that. I actually might be able to update more, but I'm a huge procrastinator so I'll probably be suffering a whole lot if I did that. But I refuse to give up on something I like, so don't worry! Oh, Gardenia & Cheryl? *winks at Dux* I'll leave it up to the reader to think what happened after. I probably won't work with them until much later.

* * *

**Chapter 13**

Johanna smiled. "Hello, dear."

"Oh, you two are related!" the woman exclaimed. "Why, isn't that just perfect?"

Dawn was still awestruck. "W-what are you doing here!?"

"Well, after you left I grew so bored all by myself," Johanna explained. "I felt a little nostalgic—I being an ex-Coordinator and all—seeing you start your journey brought back a few old memories."

"Oh yes, that's right! Your mother was a brilliant Coordinator!" The contest hall judge gave Dawn a wink. "Let's hope it runs in the family, hm?"

"Er…" Dawn couldn't quite come up with the right words. "What about the house?"

Johanna waved her hand impatiently. "Oh don't fret over such a silly thing. I've asked our lovely neighbor to take care of it. Besides, I'll only be gone for a few days."

"Pearl's mom…" Dawn repeated slowly. She eventually got over the shock, deciding to give her mother a proper greeting. "Anyway, it's nice to see you! I really did miss you, honest!"

Johanna beamed, meeting the younger girl in a hug. "Of course, dear. I've missed you a lot too." Pulling away, she examined her daughter. "You'll tell me what's been going on, won't you?"

At the mention of her recent activities, Dawn automatically looked for Cynthia. However, the blonde seemed to have vanished. She quickly realized that Cynthia must have taken the opportunity while she was gawking over her mom to disappear. _Er…maybe that's a good thing…_ After what happened earlier, Dawn couldn't imagine her mother's reaction if she saw 'Steven'. It was one thing for everyone else to jump to conclusions, but with her mom, it was on an entirely whole new level. Parents usually didn't react well against strangers and their children. It was natural. Besides, she was positive that her mother wouldn't approve of her hanging around someone _older_ and _male_ and that. Though to make matters worse, the other woman had to put her two cents in.

"Oh, are you looking for that man you were with?" She looked interested. "I saw him with you when you went in!"

As expected, Johanna's voice grew sharper, making Dawn cringe. "A man…?"

"Um…it's really not like that, mom…" she began, hoping for the best. "Steven's just a friend. He's been helping me out a whole lot and—"

Johanna cut her off. "You mean you've been _traveling_ with him?"

"I hope that's not a problem."

Three sets of eyes focused on the blonde who had just approached. Dawn didn't know whether to be relieved or anxious. This could either go very well or very bad, see. While the contest judge smiled away, Johanna was examining every inch of the newcomer. It was her job as a single parent to make _sure_ that her only daughter wasn't in any sort of danger. The man—boy more like it—seemed clean and non-threatening at a glance. In her opinion, those were the ones women had to look out for. Johanna knew well enough not to go by appearances alone. After all, the blonde seemed like he had something to hide. It was a bit hard to explain, but it was simply the feeling she got when she looked him in the eyes. Call it women's intuition if you will. In any case, secrets were very good for raising suspicion.

"And what is your name, young man?"

The blonde smiled slightly. "It's Steven…_ma'm_."

Dawn held her breath for a moment. There was tension in the air, no doubt about it. The only one who seemed incapable of sensing that was the contest judge. Though much to Dawn's relief, after a brief silent duel with their eyes, Johanna and 'Steven' had reached some sort of agreement. Of course, that didn't mean things were a-okay just yet. This was probably just Round 1.

"You must tell me more about yourself," said the navy-haired woman. "I should thank you for taking care of Dawn all this time."

Cynthia remained even, despite the mild tone in the older female's voice. "I wouldn't mind." She did her best impression of Lucian. "And Dawn has been an excellent traveling companion. I've actually learned quite a lot from her too."

"I'm glad she hasn't done anything embarrassing," Johanna answered, earning a disdainful look from her daughter. "You should join us for dinner tonight and we'll talk."

Putting on one of her usual smiles, Cynthia nodded. "Thanks, I'll try not to be a bother."

"Oh, doesn't that sound like fun!" the contest hall judge beamed. "I—"

"Jupiter?!"

All three older women turned to Dawn for her abrupt outburst, but she was hardly paying attention. The moment she looked elsewhere, someone had caught her eye. The woman was dressed in a magnificent sparkling dress, with long gloves extending up to her elbows. Her most notable feature though, was her crazy hairdo, the same color as what she was wearing. The first thing Dawn thought of was the Team Galactic Commander she had met back in Eterna City. After all, how many people ran around with hair like that? Even if they weren't the same person, surely they were related!

Apparently, Cynthia thought otherwise. While Johanna and the judge blinked at Dawn in confusion, she chose to brief the younger girl in. "I get how you'd make that mistake," she laughed shortly. "But that's Hearthome City's Gym Leader."

"Er…I just thought…" Dawn frowned. They still seemed to be related in _her_ opinion.

As if waiting for her cue, the said Gym Leader chose this moment to saunter over to the foursome. Dawn's second impression of this woman was that she was someone _very_ vain. This time, she wasn't proven wrong. Everything about the violet-haired female was flashy; from her hairdo to her gaudy dress. When she spoke, it was clear that she was not a native. While the woman could still make up coherent sentences and be understood, there was no hiding her foreign accent.

"Oh, ho, ho! Is this your first time here, little girl?" she smiled. "I could not help but hear your sudden cry of excitement."

Dawn scratched her head. That was hardly from excitement. "Um, it _is_ actually."

"Then you must be planning on entering the contests, non?" The woman brushed her bangs slightly with her gloved hand. "I hope you enjoy yourself! Fantina _always_ does."

"Fantina…?" Dawn repeated.

The contest hall judge laughed. "Oh, Fantina is wonderful! She doesn't just battle, she fights with elegance!"

"Vous êtes trop gentil! I see my reputation has preceded me!" said the Gym Leader dramatically, placing a hand to her face briefly. "Oui, _I_ am Fantina! You may challenge me but you _must_ grow stronger or you will not have a chance! I bid you adieu for now!"

With an elegant sweep of her gown, Fantina turned on her heel and glided out of the contest hall, leaving Dawn completely awestruck. What could she say? She was at an utter loss for words. The woman clearly moved to the beat of her own drum. _I'm going to…battle _her_, right…?_ Now she learned not to anticipate what Gym Leaders were like. Her old perception of them—serious, hard-working, intimidating—was completely off. So far, none of them were like that! She turned to Cynthia and her mother for a moment; the blonde was resisting the urge to laugh, while her mom appeared mildly amused. Again, the only person who was oblivious to the goings on was the contest hall judge.

"Oh you know that Fantina," she chuckled. "Always the diva! But we do enjoy having a character like her around!" She looked at Dawn brightly. "You _will_ be competing, won't you?"

The younger girl nodded. "Un, I definitely want to try!"

"Not in those clothes you won't," her mother interrupted. "We'll have to do some shopping."

The contest judge seemed delighted. "Goodness, how fun! We'll make sure you look your best!" However, her expression suddenly faltered. "…Oh drat. Johanna, I'd love to go with you but I just remembered I had a few things to take care of."

"Its fine, it'll give us some mother-daughter time," replied the middle-aged woman. "You had better get going, Marian."

As her mother said good-bye to the judge, Dawn turned to Cynthia. She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Um…so I guess this means…"

"Just go on ahead," the blonde answered. "I'll meet up with you later anyway." Seeing as how Johanna was starting to look over, she decided to leave. "Pick out something nice and show me after," Cynthia added with a wink.

Almost by reflex, Dawn smiled, though she _was_ slightly embarrassed. However, upon feeling her mother's gaze on her back, she quickly wiped the expression off her face. Turning to look her mom in the eye, she put on a different smile, hoping that it translated as innocent. Johanna wasn't about to take any of it, but eventually broke down. She would definitely grill her daughter later _after_ dinner about this Steven boy. For now, she really _did_ just want to enjoy a shopping trip with the fourteen-year-old.

"I'm paying…?" Dawn inquired jokingly.

Johanna held her by the arm as they went outside. She was all smiles. "_Of course_, dear."

***

As they walked into a particularly expensive-looking boutique, Dawn sincerely hoped that that was _not_ going to be the case. She had to be a little thrifty; after all, her funds were not used only on herself anymore but also on her Pokémon. As much as she'd have dearly _loved _to go on a wild shopping spree, she knew that she had to resist. However, as they passed down the aisles of various outfits, she felt her resolve waver. Dresses of different colors and styles hung on the racks, shoes of all shapes and sizes were on display, and all sorts of accessories lined the shelves. _Self-control might be a little hard…_ She was already ogling at all the temptations. _Hey! That's just my color! Ooh, and that one is— Wait, no!_ Dawn shook herself out of it. She knew that she was doing what Gardenia did when it came to plants. _I can't!_ _I…_

"Hikari, why don't you pick out a few things?" Johanna suggested. Smiling, she also pulled out a credit card. "You don't have to hold back."

_Er…you heard her! She _told_ me to!_ Dawn quickly threw her arms around her mother in a tight hug. "Oh, thank you so much!"

In no less than a second, she was off and running, all discretion set aside. Johanna smiled. Sure she might regret this decision later, but it was worth seeing her daughter happy. It _had_ been awhile since they've seen one another. Besides, she wanted Dawn to look her best if she was going to compete in a Pokémon Contest. Johanna preferred coordinating to battling, so she was a little disappointed when Dawn chose to go after Gym Badges instead of Contest Ribbons. While she was going to support her daughter either way, she wasn't about to give up the chance to show Dawn the highlights of coordinating. Walking down the aisles, she watched as the fourteen-year-old started to browse. Despite their age difference, Johanna knew her daughter's tastes quite well. Upon choosing a few items, she presented them to the navy-haired girl.

"Dear, how about something like this?"

Dawn looked at her mother brightly. "Okay, I'll try them on! I'll be in the changing rooms!"

Johanna smiled. "I'll stay here and see if I can find anything else you might like."

With a nod, Dawn sped off to the other side of the boutique. Choosing a free stall, she promptly closed the curtain before slipping out of her clothes and into a dress. The first one was primarily light blue and white. It had a few slight ruffle designs and lace here and there that made it seem Victorian inspired. Dawn looked at herself in the mirror. _Not bad…_ _With some accessories, I think it'll be even better!_ Taking the outfit off, she turned to the next one. It mostly black, white, and silver; much simpler than the first, consisting of vertical stripes. Upon trying it on, she frowned. _Hm…it's not my thing._ Removing it, she looked curiously at the last one. _Um, really, mom?_ The dress was quite fancy; it had all sorts of odd patterns in red, white, and black. Dawn was reminded of _hearts_ for some reason. What was that story again? Something about a girl named Alice? Against her better judgment, she decided to put the thing on. _Sort of _too_ fancy!_ She examined her reflection. Red wasn't quite her color, as it didn't go too well with her hair, but the dress itself wasn't that bad. _I don't think it really suits me though…_ Deciding to take it off before she felt even more silly, Dawn grew a bit irritated when the dress started being difficult. For one thing, she couldn't quite reach the back very well; it made her wonder how she had gotten it on in the first place. Much to her disdain, she felt her hair get caught as she struggled. _Of all the things to happen!_ She peeked out from behind the curtain. Unfortunately, her mother was nowhere nearby so there was no way that she could come to the rescue.

"Are you okay?"

Dawn nearly jumped at the sudden voice. It came from the changing stall beside her. She debated on answering, but chose to reply out of politeness. "Well—"

"Sorry, it just sounded like you were having a hard time," said the female.

Sighing, Dawn decided that it wouldn't do her any good to stand here waiting, while her hair was caught. Hey, it hurts! "U-um…do you think you can help me out?"

"What's wrong?"

A tinge of pink appeared on her face. "…My hair got caught in the zipper—"

"No problem, just hold on."

Dawn turned around, her face directed toward the wall; she didn't want to look the other girl in the eye. This was embarrassing! As she heard the curtain shift, she did her best to seem nonchalant. "Um, thanks… This _really_ doesn't happen often! I don't know why I put this on in the first place—"

The stranger laughed slightly as she freed Dawn from her predicament. "It's not a big deal! That's why I don't bother with dresses and long hair. It's too much of a hassle."

Feeling better, Dawn slowly turned around to face her savior. "You really think so?" She was curious as to why the other girl looked at her with such surprise. "Er, are you alright?"

The girl was around her age. She had short, semi-messy orange-colored hair and dark red eyes. What Dawn found odd was the fact that she was dressed in a light blue suit. She seemed more like a boy than a girl. Probably the only thing that gave her gender away was her softer facial features. If it weren't for that then Dawn would surely have thought that she was a boy; well, a _pretty_ boy anyway. However, the androgynous girl didn't seem to be paying attention to what Dawn was saying at the moment. There was an odd look in her eyes that Dawn couldn't quite figure out.

"Um…hello?" She waved a hand slightly in front of her companion.

The girl still looked at her fixedly. "…Hikari…?"

Dawn was taken aback from being addressed so personally by a stranger. The only people called her that nowadays was her mother and Pearl. "H-how do you know that?"

"Gosh, it's only been…six years, I think?" The short-haired girl smiled. "You've really forgotten me already?"

Dawn examined the slightly taller girl thoughtfully. She really _did_ seem familiar. The more she looked at the red-head, the stronger that feeling became. A scene popped up in her mind. It was an afternoon in Twinleaf Town. Her mother was standing a little ways behind her with a sad smile on her face. Dawn was eight years old back then. Pearl was beside her, trying to keep himself from crying. She was sniffling, with tears flowing freely down her cheeks. With them was a girl in a t-shirt and capris; she wasn't crying, but she definitely wasn't happy. She did her best to comfort eight-year-old Dawn. That worked for awhile, but when it came time for her to leave, even Pearl started to break down. They both watched as the girl went into the car with her parents and disappeared down the road. How could she forget that of all things? The three of them were best friends, weren't they? _I'm such an idiot…_ Dawn felt a sudden rush of emotion. Her immediate reaction was to throw her arms over the other girl's shoulders.

"Nozomi!"

The sudden gesture nearly knocked Zoey over, but she managed to keep her balance. She held the navy-haired girl by the shoulders and pulled away with a smile. "Took you long enough!"

Dawn was overjoyed. She still clung to her old friend. "I'm sorry! It's been so long since I've seen you! You look so different!"

"My hair's a little shorter and I've grown a few feet," Zoey answered. "You're the one who looks different!"

Dawn smiled but said nothing in return, earning herself a curious look from the red-head. Instead, she quickly pulled Zoey into another hug. "Oh, I'm just so excited to see you again!" She laughed. "I guess I'm not sure what to say."

Zoey couldn't help but laugh as well. She was glad that the fourteen-year-old hadn't changed. "This is fine too actually."

Suddenly feeling embarrassed, Dawn stepped back. "Oh no! Of all the ways to meet…you just had to see me like that!"

"It's not a big deal," Zoey laughed. "And it was because you got your hair caught that found you. And I think that's what matters most."

"Nozomi…"

The red-head smiled. "Tell you what, why don't we change and talk outside? It's a little cramped in here, don't you think?"

Coming to her senses, Dawn looked around for a second. "Oh, right. We should!"

After Zoey closed the curtain behind her as she left, Dawn got out of her dress as quickly as she could. Clothes were the last thing on her mind right now, surprisingly enough. Throwing her usual ensemble on, she gathered up the dresses and went outside. Despite her rush, Zoey still beat her. The red-head was already up at the front counter, paying for her things. As Dawn trotted out, her mother stopped her and held up another dress. It was pink, white, and red, adorned with little ribbons here and there. It was perfect! Well, she didn't want to think too hard about this one. What she _really_ wanted was to talk to Zoey.

"That's great, mom! Thank you!"

Johanna was surprised. "You're not going to look at anything else?"

"Un, I'll go pay for it!" Dawn traded the dress in her mother's arms for the three she was holding. Before rushing toward the cashier however, she ended up taking the blue dress with her. "Er, sorry. I actually want this one too…"

Shaking her head slightly, Johanna watched as her daughter ran off. The navy-haired girl was always keeping herself busy. She just wondered what it was this time. Either way, Johanna figured that her daughter wasn't about to accompany her any further. She found the reason; she guessed that the red-head was a friend. In any case, she seemed better than the blonde man from before. She would still have to ask the younger girl about that. There was no escaping it…

At the moment Dawn didn't give her mother much attention. When she caught up to Zoey, she was all smiles. The other girl had just finished with her purchase.

"You ready? I'll wait outside, okay?" She waved slightly before going through the sliding glass doors.

Dawn placed the two outfits on the countertop and waited for the cashier to do her job. She lit up as her mother approached her. "Oh mom, I have to—"

"I know," Johanna replied. "Go and have fun. I'll take your things back to the hotel. I'll be in room 460, so come find me when you're done."

Brightening up considerably, she gave the middle-aged woman a brief hug. "You're the best!"

Upon exiting the boutique, Dawn found Zoey waiting for her just outside. The short-haired girl smiled. "So where do you want to go?"

"Wanna walk around?" Dawn suggested. "We can talk along the way!"

"Sounds good," replied Zoey as they made their way down the side walk. "…How've you been all this time? You finally decided to leave school?"

Dawn nodded. "Mm! Pearl and I started about a month ago, I think. It took awhile, but now we're Trainers! You wouldn't believe it. You know Prof. Rowan? He was the one who decided to give us both Pokémon."

"Huh, really?" Zoey inquired her in surprise. "Just like that?"

"Yeah, it's amazing, isn't it?" Dawn tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I guess we were just in the right place at the right time. We got lucky." A sudden thought occurred to her and she pulled out her Poké Dex. "But see this thing here? He's asked us to travel around and record data on any Pokémon we see along the way."

Zoey was impressed. "Wow, to think that the famous researcher is asking you to help him! You've gone a long way from being a sheltered princess."

"W-what? My mom was just a little overprotective that's all!" Dawn replied defensively.

The red-head laughed. "I know, I was only joking!"

"Well, what about you?" Dawn asked curiously. "…What did you do after you moved? You said that you were going to be a top Pokémon Coordinator, weren't you?"

Zoey smiled in response. "That's right. I'm aiming to be the best in Sinnoh." She looked sideways at her companion. "Now that you have Pokémon, are you doing the same?"

"I think I'd like to try coordinating," said Dawn thoughtfully. "But I'm also taking on the Pokémon League challenge!"

"As in you're going after the Gym Badges?" Zoey began. "So you plan to do both?"

Nodding, Dawn answered, "Why not? I want to!"

"I think it'd be a lot easier if you chose one of them and stuck with it," said Zoey, placing her hands into her pockets. "It's hard to be both a Trainer _and _a Coordinator."

Dawn frowned slightly. "Maybe, but I can try, right? You never know!"

"In my opinion, your focus is divided," Zoey replied, shrugging. "How can you be really serious about both? That could be the difference in being successful."

A little miffed, Dawn thought of something. "Are you going to compete at the Contest Hall?"

"…Yeah, that's why I'm here," the red-head answered. She was curious at the look in the other girl's eyes. "Why?"

"I'll see you in the finals!" Dawn declared confidently. "I bet I can prove you wrong!"

Zoey grinned. "Is that so? And how long have you been coordinating?"

Dawn's expression faltered slightly, but she managed to appear nonchalant. "Well, I have beginner's luck on my side." She also couldn't help but think, _And Cynthia!_ If the blonde was as good at coordinating as she was at battling, Dawn had nothing to fear. "And I've been told that I'm a quick learner!"

"Alright, you're on," said Zoey, smirking. "_When_ you make it to the finals, I'll give you my special poffin recipe."

Dawn was grateful that the red-head had confidence in her. However, what she mentioned was strange. Dawn tilted her head slightly. "Poffin…?"

"Ha, ha…don't tell me you don't know what that is," Zoey laughed. At the navy-haired girl's expression, she decided to explain. "It's a pastry that you can feed to your Pokémon. You'll need them if you want to be a good Coordinator."

Dawn immediately grew interested. "Oh, I've never made one before! Can you teach me?"

"Sure! I know just the place," said Zoey, leading the way down the street. "It'll be a good experience!"

Passing by the local Poké Mart, they were soon in front of a building called the Poffin House. Zoey showed Dawn inside. The first thing that hit her was the mixture of different aromas. Everyone was using a stove to make mid-sized colored pastries. They were adding in berries of all sorts; Dawn recognized most of them, but a few looked a bit foreign. For one thing, the Pokémon that were fed the cakes seemed delighted. Dawn couldn't wait to give it a try. She wasn't bad at cooking, so she figured it wouldn't be _too_ hard.

"C'mon, let's get go," said Zoey, pulling Dawn over to a free stove top. She took out a few things from her bag, namely a small pot and a stirring spoon. "Okay, so you'll need these," she explained as she took out a bag of flour and a bottle of water. "Oh, and berries too of course."

"That's it?" Dawn inquired.

Zoey laughed. "You make it sound like you've done this all your life!"

"Nothing to it, right?" Dawn smiled.

Laughing, Zoey continued. "Alright, so you just gotta add the ingredients, turn on the heat, and stir. Why don't you give it a try, Miss Confident?"

There was no stopping her. Pulling up her sleeves, Dawn quickly plopped the items in the pot. She gave the mixture a stir and continued to do so for a few more minutes. It _was_ a bit difficult at first. The contents were hard to work with, but as she continued, the task grew easier. Once or twice she was worried that it might burn, but with Zoey's minor assistance, things turned out alright. Eventually, she was finished with a plateful of off-color pink poffins.

"Um, you don't think they're that bad, right?"

Zoey shrugged. "Only one way to find out! Give your Pokémon a few and see what they think."

Nodding, Dawn sent out all four. She prayed that Luxio was going to behave for once. Ponyta wasn't a problem; it simply looked around a few times before returning its attention to her. Piplup seemed to catch her drift, as it decided to keep close to the electric Pokémon and keep an eye on the feline. Togepi gave her a happy chirp, prompting her to pick it up.

"Okay, you guys! Why don't you try them?" Dawn began brightly. "They're poffins I made!"

Luxio sniffed one of the pastries first before chomping down on one and eating it whole. It didn't seem too keen on the taste, but at least it didn't hate the thing. Ponyta had more or less of the same reaction, except for the fact that it decided to eat more slowly. Piplup ate the poffin thoughtfully, but failed to give Dawn the reaction she was hoping for. It seemed that all of her Pokémon could care less about her poffins. Treats were supposed to be delicious! Here they were just eating it like it was cabbage or something; nothing special. However, Togepi made her day. She couldn't tell if it was just because the egg Pokémon was always happy, but it seemed to enjoy the flavor. Togepi ate all of the portions she fed it quickly.

"…At least one of them likes it!" Dawn laughed.

Zoey smiled. "I'm sure you'll get better with practice. You have to find the right recipe for each Pokémon." She examined Dawn's team with interest. "It looks like you've got a good variety!"

"You think so?" Dawn smiled. "Ooh, how about your Pokémon? Want to introduce me to them?"

"Sure," Zoey replied, sending out her own partners.

There were six Pokémon total. Dawn immediately pulled out her Poké Dex. It told her that the four she wasn't familiar with was a Misdreavus, Finneon, Kirlia, and Leafeon. She recognized the pink slug-like creature as a Shellos and the grey feline as a Glameow. The cat Pokémon brushed up against its owner's leg before sitting proudly beside her. Shellos and Misdreavus seemed far more interested in the other things that were going on around the place, while Kirlia and Leafeon chose to keep quiet. Finneon was curious at the other Pokémon nearby, but as it couldn't quite move, it opted to watching instead.

"Wow, you already have six!" Dawn exclaimed. "And they all look strong!"

"Don't sweat it," said Zoey, patting Glameow on the head. "I _did_ start off earlier than you and Pearl. You'll catch more Pokémon eventually!"

Dawn seemed even more excited. "Just wait, Zoey! I'll catch up before you know it!"

"I believe you," the red-head smiled. Calling her Pokémon back into their balls, she waited for Dawn to do the same before continuing. "Now why don't we get something to eat? It'll be my treat."

"Eh? But—"

Zoey cut her off. "Nope, I'll pay. You can take it next time!"

"Well, if you put it that way then…" Dawn scratched her head.

"Oh c'mon! Let's just go!" Zoey grinned. Taking the navy-haired girl by the arm, she dragged Dawn outside. "It's about noon right now, let's grab some lunch."

Choosing a nearby noodle shop, the pair settled down at a table. While they ate, Dawn mostly listened to Zoey tell her what she was up to after she moved away. She didn't mind; the red-head's stories were interesting. It showed her that she still had a long way to go and plenty to see. Apparently, Zoey had been to many cities throughout Sinnoh, taking part in different Pokémon Contests. So far, she had won five Ribbons, which she was proud to show Dawn. Her aim was to win another one in Hearthome City. Instead of feeling intimidated, Dawn was only more eager to try coordinating for herself. Zoey agreed to give her a few tips and pointers at the Contest Hall after lunch, since it had a practicing area. The duo didn't take long to finish. They were back in no time.

"So first things first," Zoey began. "You have to choose the Pokémon you want to use."

Dawn considered her options. Togepi was out of the question. Luxio was probably not the greatest choice either, so she also didn't count it. That left her with Piplup and Ponyta. In that case, she decided to go the water Pokémon instead, since they had spent more time training together. Sending Piplup out, she turned back to her friend.

The red-head laughed slightly. "Good, now you just have to work on a better entrance!"

"Entrance…?" Dawn repeated.

Zoey nodded. "You can't just throw the ball and have your Pokémon come out. You have to give it some flair!" She took out a Poké Ball, spun it around shortly on her finger, and tossed it upward. "Here, watch! Glameow, use Shock Wave!"

As the sphere opened, Glameow flew out in an aerial somersault, emitting blue sparks as it did. Landing gracefully on its paws, the feline let out a burst of electricity; the bolts rolled down its form harmlessly, onto the ground in a circular pattern. The cat Pokémon made a triumphant noise, as if to announce its presence. Dawn was left awestruck. Coordinating was _definitely_ a lot more different than battling. She was really going to have to try if she wanted to reach the finals. _Maybe I got a little ahead of myself…_ She shook herself out of it. No, she still wanted to give it a shot. Hey, she was willing to learn!

"Your Pokémon's entrance is important, don't forget that!" Zoey instructed. "Appeals are all about looking graceful. The stronger Pokémon doesn't always win!"

Dawn nodded slowly. "Okay, I think I understand…sort of."

"I guess you can think of it like a battle," continued Zoey. "But instead of fighting until either Pokémon is unconscious, contests run on points and time." She crossed her arms. "You don't just attack each other. You have to come up with ways to appeal to the audience and outshine your opponent."

Dawn eventually got the idea. "So basically your Pokémon has to look better, right? The both of you have to compete for attention."

"More or less, yeah," Zoey agreed. "It's all about dazzling your foe!"

Dawn turned to Piplup with determination. "Easy, right?"

***

On the other hand, Cynthia also had a chance to meet up with a familiar face. However, it wasn't exactly who she was hoping to see. Well, at first she couldn't _tell_ that it was him; after all, it was a _woman_ with a baby carriage. How was she supposed to know that that was Looker pushing an empty stroller? Anyway, he approached her very casually. She had her suspicions at first, but eventually realized that the 'mother' was really a man. It didn't take her very long afterward to figure out that it was the strange detective. At the moment, they were walking together down the street, talking. So far, she briefed him in on the events that occurred in Eterna City, while he told Cynthia what she missed while she was in Mt. Coronet. Apparently, Team Galactic had begun to act once more. Their latest scheme was supposed to take place in Pastoria City, but the details were a bit sketchy. For some reason, Looker seemed a bit off as well. He wasn't as well-informed as she had thought. He was also extremely tired; she knew that look anywhere. However, Cynthia chose not to press any questions; she was also guilty of hiding something after all; namely the fact that she was getting a fourteen-year-old girl involved with Team Galactic. They were probably better off keeping their secrets to themselves for now.

"Anyway, so you plan to head over there?" she asked him. "To Pastoria City?"

Looker nodded. "I must! We don't know how dangerous this can be!"

"So you think Valley Windworks was just the warm-up?"

The detective looked grim. "Mm. They're getting more and more aggressive. I have to find a way to stop them soon!"

Cynthia grew serious. "That means Cyrus is starting to care less about keeping a clean image… He's probably close to getting what he wants." She glanced sideways at Looker. "But can't you use this reason to press charges now?"

He averted his gaze. "We can't, not without 100% concrete evidence. If we mess up then we might not get everything!"

"So you want to know _all_ of it?" Cynthia inquired. "That's not going to be easy. You'd have to infiltrate their head quarters." She also added, "Or you could wait until Cyrus shows his true colors. Everyone will see the threat by then."

Looker shook his head. "I want to stop it from getting that far! The results could be catastrophic! Please understand, Miss Champion! The leader of Team Galactic is a very dangerous man!"

Cynthia exhaled. "You don't need to tell me that. I already know what he's like."

"How—"

"He used to work for my grandmother at the research center when I was younger," the blonde explained. "When I left to become a Trainer, he helped her out a lot. After awhile I came back to visit, but he wasn't the same. My grandmother might not have realized it, but Cyrus wasn't really who she thought he was." Her expression was distant. "A few things happened and it didn't end well." She glanced over at him. "Cyrus left of course."

Looker took in the information with surprise. He didn't expect the Champion to tell him something like that. She didn't seem like the type to get personal. He cleared his throat. "Ah, in any case, Miss Champion…perhaps you should go with me this time. I could use the help."

It was not quite the thing Cynthia wanted to hear. If they were splitting up then it was fine, but here he was, asking her directly to accompany him. That left her with no pretense to take Dawn along. After all, this was most definitely a serious operation. It wouldn't look very good if he found out that she was getting an innocent person involved. No, in all honesty, it _was_ best if she left Dawn to her own devices from here on. The fourteen-year-old was capable of traveling on her own now; she wasn't useless. Dragging her along only meant bringing her deeper into the mess. Cynthia was positive that she didn't want to put the younger girl in any danger. Nevertheless, there was something odd within her that was saying otherwise. If she walked out now, who knew if she could find her again? Sure, Dawn was taking on the Pokémon League Challenge, but it wasn't the same. Traveling with her was the most fun that Cynthia had had for awhile. She didn't want to lose that. It was something she was much more concerned about. _I think…my selfishness has reached a new high…_ She smiled faintly.

"Miss Champion…?"

Cynthia looked the detective in the eyes. "I'll give you an answer tomorrow."

"E-er, excuse me?" Looker blinked.

She remained undeterred. "I'll call you tomorrow and tell you. You can go on ahead if you'd like."

Looker cleared his throat again. "Now, Miss Champion…please be reasonable! I—"

"I know this is serious," interrupted Cynthia. Her tone was firm. "And I'm still helping you. Just give me until tomorrow. Please."

He examined her for a moment before sighing. "…Y-yes. I will head over there first… Er, I do hope to see you eventually."

Cynthia put on a smile. "Thank you." As they turned to go their separate ways, she paused to call back out to him. "And it's _Steven_, if you don't mind. Stop calling me something else or I _won't_ show up!"

Looker scratched his head, grinning sheepishly. _She really does seem to hate the title, doesn't she?_ He watched as the Champion walked off, disappearing behind the corner. Handsome sighed. This wasn't going to be an easy task. It wasn't just about gathering evidence; he was also taking direct action. He needed to prevent Team Galactic's plans from succeeding. By the time people are alerted, it might already be too late. For one thing, he didn't know how far along Team Galactic was. The situation in Pastoria City could easily get out of hand. He needed to hurry.

Cynthia stood with her back against the corner wall, examining Looker thoughtfully. He was definitely serious. She couldn't leave him hanging. _I…better find her._ Turning, she headed down the streets toward the boutique. Hopefully, Dawn was still there. Regardless of her mother's presence or not, Cynthia aimed to get a conversation alone with the younger girl. If she had to tell the truth, then she would. It was that simple. However, that didn't make it any easier. She was certainly not looking forward to doing so. Maybe that was why she was privately glad when she couldn't find Dawn at the store. Upon asking the cashier about the girl, she found that Dawn had already left awhile ago with a friend. Luckily, her mother was also nowhere in sight. Now Cynthia had to wander around, searching half-heartedly for the fourteen-year-old. She wasn't quite sure how to react when she _did_ come across the younger girl.

Dawn was coming out of the Contest Hall with Zoey. The two of them were in a deep conversation about coordinating. All the same, the navy-haired girl managed to catch Cynthia before she could do anything else. She waved over to the blonde as a reflex, earning herself a curious look from her friend. Cynthia didn't really have a choice but to wave back, as Dawn was already trotting over. She looked as excited as ever.

"Where've you been?" she asked. Before Cynthia could answer, she pulled Zoey over. "I went shopping with my mom but I ran into my friend instead!"

The red-head extended her hand. "Ah, hey, I'm Zoey. Nice to meet you."

"…Steven. Likewise," Cynthia replied, taking the handshake. She cleared her throat. It sounded somewhat odd. _Not right now…_

Fortunately, Dawn seemed to catch on. She quickly grabbed Cynthia by the arm. "Oh! Um, I have to tell him something for a second, okay? Can you wait here for a sec?"

Zoey looked at the pair of them oddly but didn't question the request. "…Uh, okay…"

Walking a little ways out of view, Dawn turned to the blonde. "There, drink some quick!" When Cynthia stood still, she was a bit confused. "What's wrong?"

"…Oh, sorry. I'm just a little tired," Cynthia answered in her own voice. "Do you think I can talk to you later?" She mustered up a smile. "Or is your mom going to play chaperone the whole time?"

Dawn laughed slightly. "Well…I don't know. I don't think she likes 'Steven' very much." She suddenly had an idea. "Oh, I got it! Zoey's going to have dinner with us too! How 'bout I ask her to put in a few good words? Mom knows her!"

"…Though for that to work you'd have to convince your friend I'm not a jerk first," said Cynthia with mild amusement.

Dawn stuck her tongue out. "That'll be hard!"

"You like me anyway," replied Cynthia, making the younger girl feel somewhat embarrassed. "I'm fine with just that."

Growing slightly pink, Dawn looked elsewhere. "If I didn't know any better, I'd think you were flirting…"

The blonde peered over her shoulder. "Oh? Is it working?"

"N-no way!" Dawn cried defensively, turning away. "You always mess around with me, that's all!"

Cynthia smiled faintly as she spoke to the younger girl's back. "…Maybe…but you don't think it can get serious?"

"…H-huh?"

Dawn felt Cynthia pat her on the head as she headed back toward Zoey's direction. The blonde was laughing. _Ooh…she did it again!_ As Cynthia headed on, Dawn ran after her, giving the older woman a couple of smacks.

Zoey wasn't sure what to make of the situation. Dawn seemed to be fairly close to this 'Steven' guy, despite the fact that he seemed older. It was natural for her to be suspicious of him, but at least Dawn seemed like she was having fun. Either way, she wasn't about to let her guard down. There was something about this man that seemed to tick her off.

"Sorry it took so long," Dawn began. "Anyway, he's going to dinner with us."

Zoey wasn't surprised. "Then we better head back to the hotel and clean up. Don't want to make your mom wait, right?"

"That's true," Cynthia agreed. She turned to Dawn. "I figured you were staying with your mother so I didn't check out a room for you."

The fourteen-year-old shook her head. "It's okay." She laughed, "I don't think she'll let me stay with you anyway!"

"You two traveled together?" Zoey inquired. Yeah, _that_ bit of news was surprising.

Dawn nodded, which Cynthia found amusing. "Un! Sh—he's been helping out a lot! If it wasn't for Steven I'd probably be really far behind."

"Don't be silly," the blonde replied; though Cynthia really was grateful for what the younger girl said. "You're a natural Trainer. That's why I wanted to help you get even better."

"Ah, so _you're_ a Trainer too, aren't you?" said Zoey.

Cynthia put on one of her usual smiles. "That's right."

There was an odd feeling of tension hanging between the two of them. Neither could figure out why that was, but the only one who seemed oblivious to it was Dawn. The trio headed over to the hotel, exchanging mild comments and small talk along the way. Zoey and Cynthia talked to one another more than they really needed to. The younger girl was doing it mainly to see what 'Steven' was like; so far, she didn't find him likeable in _any_ way. Then again, it was just a ten minute walk. Cynthia was doing more or less the same. She was curious as to how the red-head knew Dawn; though she doubted that she wanted to just out of simple curiosity. Dawn was literally in the middle. She talked when it was necessary, but for the most part, she was just enjoying the company. They continued that way until they got out of the elevator. Strangely enough, they were all on the same floor. While Dawn was happy, Cynthia and Zoey found it ironic.

"Okay, we'll meet up at six," said Dawn, standing before her mother's room.

Cynthia smiled. "Feel free to stop by _earlier_."

"That sounds great, thanks," Zoey replied, knowing full well that Steven didn't mean that to _her_.

Before Cynthia could reply, the door opened to reveal Johanna. "There you are, dear. It was about time!"

"Er…sorry, mom," Dawn began sheepishly. However, she quickly grabbed Zoey and pulled her over. "It's because I ran into Zoey! You remember her, don't you?"

Johanna's eyes widened. "Oh, it _is_ little Nozomi, isn't it? _My _goodness! How have you been, dear? It's been ages since we've last seen you!"

The red-head smiled. "I'm more or less the same. It's nice to you both again!"

"Oh I remember the day you had to move," Johanna chuckled. "Hikari cried from sun up 'til sun down. Mind you, little Jun was no different. He was just better at hiding it!"

Dawn instantly grew red. She looked apprehensively at her mother for calling her that in front of Cynthia. Well, and for mentioning the crying bit. She even dragged Pearl into it! "_Mom!_ Not now! We have to prepare for _dinner_, remember?"

Johanna smiled. "I understand. Don't worry." She looked up at Zoey and gave her a wink. "We'll continue teasing her later."

"M-mom!" Dawn cried sharply. She was resisting the urge to shove her mother through the door.

Finally taking her daughter's hint, Johanna disappeared into the room, leaving Dawn thoroughly embarrassed in front of Zoey and Cynthia. Much to her relief, Cynthia chose not to say or do anything except smile before entering her own room. On the other hand, Zoey wasn't as merciful.

"Uh, is that true? You and Pearl cried a lot?"

Dawn stared at her shoes and nodded. "Of course we did… We were best friends…"

"You mean we still _are_," Zoey corrected, making her look back up with a smile. "Just wait until I find him. He won't hear the end of this!"

Dawn laughed. "Oh c'mon! We were both really sad, you know! But Jun had to be the boy, so he didn't want to cry in front of me."

"Before we get tempted to talk about him, why don't we get cleaned up?" suggested Zoey with a smile. "Sounds like a good dinner topic."

"Un, see you at dinner then!"

***

Despite the fact that she thought it was going to be a bad idea, Cynthia decided to attend anyway. Though as she had expected, she felt outside of the loop half the time. After all, she had only known the navy-haired girl for around a month; even if Dawn was the only person she really talked to over the past thirty days, it didn't measure up to her history with Zoey. Judging by the stories that were being exchanged, they were part of a trio, along with the boy named Pearl. Zoey had to move away when they were eight and eventually went on to become a Pokémon Coordinator. Because of her traveling, she was out of touch with the other two. Cynthia imagined that they must have been close friends though. Johanna treated the red-head almost like a second daughter and Dawn looked delighted throughout the entire meal. Cynthia supposed the bright side was that the middle-aged woman was too distracted to grill her about traveling with Dawn, but the distance she was feeling from the setting was starting to get to her. It made her think about her own family and friends in Celestic Town. She remembered what she had told Looker earlier about her grandmother and Cyrus. Since becoming the Champion, she had only visited twice. Hearing Dawn talk about her hometown almost made Cynthia feel like going back to Celestic.

"Ne…Steven. Are you okay?"

The blonde snapped out of her reverie, looking up to see that all three females were watching her. She smiled automatically. "I'm fine! I guess I'm just more tired than I thought. Sorry for not saying much. I don't want to intrude on your personal time."

"Well, now that we're on the subject," said Johanna. "Why don't you tell me more about yourself? I heard that you've been helping Dawn, haven't you?"

Cynthia shook her head slightly. "I'm just a Trainer, that's all. We met in Eterna City. Since Dawn is doing me a favor, I wanted to give her bit of advice when it comes to battling."

"What kind of favor?" Zoey interjected. She scratched her head. The question just sort of came out on its own.

Cynthia smiled. "Why don't you show them, Dawn?"

The fourteen-year-old blinked. Eventually, she realized what Cynthia meant. With a smile, she took out a Poké Ball and opened it, revealing the creature inside. "Cy—I mean Steven—gave me an egg! Isn't that amazing? This little guy hatched not too long ago! You saw him earlier, Zoey!"

"Oh my, that's a Togepi, isn't it?" said Johanna, impressed. "You know they're quite rare, don't you?"

Cynthia nodded. "That may be so, but I really had no means of caring for it on my own. I just thought Togepi would be better off with Dawn."

Johanna smiled, peering over at the small Pokémon. "He's cute. Make sure you take good care of him, dear."

"Of course I will!" Dawn exclaimed.

Zoey examined Togepi curiously. "Do you think we can hold him?"

"Er…I'm not sure," Dawn began uncertainly. "Togepi gets really scared! Steven said he'll grow out of it later, but I don't know about right now! You know, unless you want to see him have a fit!"

Zoey laughed slightly. "Ha, ha, that's true."

"You seem to know your stuff, don't you?" Johanna began, turning to Cynthia. "But you still look so young."

Cynthia moved her bangs out her eyes. "I'm only twenty-two, ma'm. I still have a lot to learn."

A smile appeared on Johanna's face. "Either way, thank you for helping my daughter."

"So do you two plan to keep on traveling together?" Zoey asked. "Dawn's going to different cities to battle Gyms, right? Isn't it a little inconvenient sometimes?"

At the mention of that, Cynthia felt her implanted smile fade. "You're right…" She quickly pulled herself together though, ignoring the look Dawn just gave her. "That's why I'm glad she had a chance to catch up with you both again. I'll feel much better heading on alone."

Dawn looked at the blonde incredulously. "W-wait, you're not going to…you know…anymore?"

Cynthia turned to the younger girl. "I just got a call from a friend of mine. He invited me to Pastoria City."

"Oh, to visit the Great Marsh?" Zoey inquired. "I heard that something special was gonna happen."

Cynthia smiled. "That's right."

"B-but what about—" Dawn began.

"I'm sure you'll be fine. Good luck on your Gym Battle, alright?" Cynthia interrupted. "Just remember what we practiced and Fantina shouldn't be too much of a problem."

Though unhappy, Dawn figured that it'd be best if she went along with the blonde for now. _Maybe it's something she'll tell me later…_ "Un…don't worry."

"Goodness, you should get to bed soon," said Johanna. "Even your Pokémon is tired! And you two have been traveling all morning, you must be exhausted."

Dawn looked down to find that Togepi was dozing off in her arms. "Er, yeah. I guess you're right."

Cynthia got to her feet first. "Well then, thank you for the dinner. I can take the bill."

"Oh no, we can't let you do that!" Johanna protested.

Zoey cut in. "Don't worry, Steven and I can split it."

Cynthia smiled with a nod, thanking the red-head for the assist. "You and Dawn can go on ahead."

"I can tell when I'm being ganged up on," Johanna replied. However, she was grateful all the same. "But I do thank you. Come, Dawn."

She motioned for the younger girl, but as they started to leave, Dawn went back. Her expression was a mixture of seriousness and awkwardness as she faced the blonde. "I-I still want to talk to you."

Cynthia blinked in surprise at first, but eventually smiled. "So do I."

"Um, I'll come by later then!" Dawn replied, brightening. "C'mon, mom! See you tomorrow, Zoey!"

Moving past her mother, and toward the restaurant's exit, she waved back. Johanna looked thoughtful. She bid the other two another good-bye before following her daughter out the door. Once they were out of sight, Zoey turned to Cynthia immediately. She looked completely solemn, which took the blonde by surprise. Somehow, Cynthia knew that this wasn't about paying the bill.

"Who are you, really?" She asked frankly. "If you think you can do anything to Dawn, I'm not going to stand around!"

Cynthia was impressed. This girl was not much taller than Dawn was; they were the same age. It took a lot of courage for the red-head to confront her like this. _So she likes to get to the point._ There was no room for false smiles _now_. "All I want to say is this: I don't want to see her in any sort of danger as much as you do."

Zoey examined the blonde. His tone was firm and his expression was equally serious as hers. He seemed to have lowered his facade. "…I…I still don't trust you…but I'll believe that much."

"You're a good friend," Cynthia replied. "Why don't you go along with her? She could use the company."

Zoey placed her hands into her pockets. "I don't know if our goals are the same." She continued when the blond gave her a curious look. "I'm a coordinator so our destinations aren't always fitting. She's not serious about it, I know. I'm sure she prefers battling."

"Well, I understand what you mean," answered Cynthia. "But I'll tell you now; it's a lot harder to find a real friend than it is to win a Badge or a Ribbon. Opportunities aren't always going to be there."

"I'll…be sure to keep that in mind," Zoey replied slowly.

Smiling once more, Cynthia paid her half of the bill before leaving. "Have fun! Oh, and nice to meet you."

_And on goes the mask._ Zoey nodded in response as she watched the man exit the restaurant. She sighed and decided to follow suit. So far it had been a crazy day. She never expected to see her old friend again. The blonde's words came to her mind. He was serious, wasn't he? It didn't seem like he was just saying that. _Maybe I _should_ see if I can go with her._ Scratching her head, Zoey headed back to the hotel. _I have to think about it…_

Back inside their own room, Johanna finally decided to get the truth out of her daughter. While her opinion of Steven had changed, she still knew that he was hiding something. She hadn't lived all these years for nothing. Johanna simply didn't want her daughter to be deceived. However, Dawn found it difficult to come clean. As much as she'd have liked to tell her mother everything, she didn't want to risk letting her know about Cynthia's real identity. After all, secret agents were called 'secret' for a reason. Besides, she was positive that her mother didn't like the idea of her running around with Cynthia and getting in trouble; with Team Galactic no less.

"Dear, you need to be careful," said Johanna. "I'm just worried about you, that's all."

Dawn nodded. "Don't worry, mom. I know that!

"That man…he's not telling you the truth," Johanna continued. "Don't be surprised when you find out what it is."

_I already know!_ Dawn thought. She found it kind of ironic really. "I understand. I'll always be careful."

With that said she kissed her mother good-night and watched as the middle-aged woman climbed onto the second bed. Dawn did the same for the most part. She changed into her pajamas in order to make it look convincing, but she had no intention of sleeping just yet. She was going to see Cynthia _now_, not tomorrow morning. A part of her was worried that by then it might be too late. Sometimes it was hard to tell if the blonde meant what she said. Dawn waited patiently (as patiently as she could anyway) until she was positive that her mother was deeply asleep. She just hoped that Cynthia was still awake. _I better hurry…_ Creeping out of bed quietly, she pulled on her outer coat and grabbed a pair of bathroom slippers. Coincidently, they both matched with the rest of her pajamas. _Er, that's not important!_ Dawn unlocked the door silently and stepped out into the hall. She was glad that she didn't have to go very far to reach Cynthia's room; not only because of what she was wearing, but also because it was colder out here than she thought. Once, twice, three times she knocked. _Please be awake!_ There was a moment of silence before she heard anything.

"Dawn?"

Her heart leapt as the blonde opened the door. "Cynthia! Can I come in?"

"…Of course," Cynthia replied, stepping aside for the younger girl to step inside.

Dawn made her way across the room and took a seat on the free bed. Apparently, Cynthia had been watching TV all this time. She looked over at the older woman as she grabbed a light robe to cover herself with. Dawn examined her pink patterned pajamas and felt a bit silly compared to Cynthia and her black camisole. _Real mature!_ She thought with a sigh. However, the thought was pushed out of her mind as the blonde sat down opposite her on the other bed.

"So, what is it?" She inquired, crossing one leg over the other.

"Er, how come you still keep your hair up even when you're going to sleep?" Dawn blurted out. That was definitely _not_ what she was here to ask.

Nevertheless, her comment seemed to ease the tension in Cynthia's face. "I think you've asked me that before in Mt. Coronet."

"Oh, you said you just wanted to, right?" said Dawn, recalling her words.

Cynthia laughed. "Mm-hm. Now that that's been cleared up, you can sleep easy, right?"

"N-no! I wasn't here to talk to you about that!" Dawn answered quickly. She grew a bit nervous. "I…I wanted to know if what you said at dinner was true."

Cynthia leaned back, supporting herself with her hands. "It is."

"You're leaving me?"

"Well, we were never together in the first place, see…"

Dawn ignored the blonde's joke. "You know what I mean! It's about Team Galactic, isn't it? Something's happening in Pastoria City!"

Cynthia smiled slightly. "Sometimes you're a bit _too_ perceptive…but yes. He told me to meet him there. I can't bring you along for this one."

As childish as it felt, she had to ask, "Why not? I've gotten stronger, haven't I? You said so yourself!"

"I know, and you have," Cynthia replied. "But you really still only have two Gym Badges and that's not really even the problem. This could get out of control and I don't want you to be there if it happens."

Dawn had half a mind to argue her case, but there was something about the older woman's expression that made her decide not to. Cynthia seemed like she had a lot to say but was unable to do so. She figured that it was hard for the blonde to drag her along this far anyway. She should have known that this was going to happen sooner or later. Dawn just hadn't expected that it would bother her this much.

"So…does that mean we won't see each other for good?"

Cynthia frowned. "Of course not."

"But if you work for the International Police, what are the chances of finding you again?"

Cynthia sat back properly. "You'd be surprised how far chance can get you." She smiled. "Are you that devastated?"

Dawn looked at the TV, slightly embarrassed. "You have to tease me even now? I really _will_ miss tagging along with you, you know. Even if you force me to fly and get me into trouble and—"

"I get the idea," Cynthia replied with amusement. "If it makes you feel better, why don't I give you a call everyday?"

Dawn turned back to her. "Really?"

"Sure, I don't mind," answered Cynthia. "So you won't have to cry."

Dawn turned pink. "I-I'm not going to cry over something like _this_!"

Laughing, Cynthia gave the younger girl a pat on the head. "Well, you don't have to do it in front of me."

"I am _so_ not going to cry!" said Dawn. "And you're not getting rid of me that easily!"

Cynthia looked at her curiously. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Just wait and see."

Cynthia smiled. "I'll look forward to it."

As silence followed, Dawn got distracted by the TV instead. It was a show that analyzed the battling techniques of top-class Trainers. At the moment, it was a special about the Pokémon League. On screen was a green-haired boy of about eighteen years old. His Pokémon was a violet, scorpion-like creature called Drapion. It was facing off against a dragon Pokémon that was similar to a Gible; Dawn heard the announcer say that it was called a Garchomp. However, before she could see who it was that the boy was battling, Cynthia turned off the TV.

"Hey! I was watching that!"

Cynthia was about to respond with, "you can watch in your own room," but quickly decided against it. "But I thought you were here to talk to me."

Dawn sighed. "Oh alright…"

"Why don't you stay the night?" Cynthia suggested. She meant it as a joke more than anything else. "It could be our first time together in a proper bed!"

Nevertheless, it got her the response she wanted. Dawn quickly grew embarrassed. "And let my _mom_ think that we're doing something _weird_? No way!"

"Oh that reminds me," Cynthia continued. "This morning when I asked you if I could kiss you—"

"_Pretend_ to kiss me," Dawn corrected. She was starting to turn pink again.

Cynthia smiled. "_Pretend_, then. Anyway, how come your first reaction wasn't 'why' but 'where' instead?"

Reddening considerably, Dawn grabbed a nearby pillow and flung it at the blonde. "I-it was a slip of tongue! It's your fault for saying that all of a sudden!"

"It was the best thing I thought of then," Cynthia laughed, blocking the shot. "Besides, I didn't actually do it."

Dawn stared at the wall. "W-why?"

"Well, I thought you'd get angry," Cynthia answered with shrug. "Don't tell me you really wanted me to."

"Okay, now you're just asking for it," Dawn began, holding up another pillow threateningly.

Cynthia smirked. "You know, having a _pillow fight_ isn't going to help your situation."

With a sigh, Dawn fell onto the spare bed, her face still warm. "Gosh, I can't believe _this_ is what I'm going to miss."

"Aw, how cute," Cynthia laughed. She lay back on her own bed, so that she was eye-level with the younger girl. "I'll miss you too, since I won't have anyone to tease anymore."

"…Don't you do that to everyone?" Dawn began dully. "It's hard to tell if you're serious or not."

Cynthia smiled. "Thank you."

"That wasn't a compliment!" Dawn replied with a laugh.

"Well, how do you know I'm _not_ serious?" Cynthia countered.

Dawn looked thoughtful. "Hm…I dunno." She suddenly remembered what Cynthia had said earlier about the same thing. _Maybe…no. That can't be, right?_ "I told you I don't really think about it. You know, that sort of thing."

"I'm glad it's just me then," the blonde answered.

Dawn sat up slowly. "What do you mean…?"

It was Cynthia's turn to grow warm. She chose to roll over the other side of her bed and hold onto a pillow instead of reply. Interested, Dawn hopped over next to the blonde and sat down. She gave the older woman a poke.

"Oh c'mon! This is just getting good!"

Cynthia got up and turned to the younger girl. "Aren't you tired?"

"Oh no you don't," Dawn grinned. "I'm not leaving until you tell me!"

Cynthia looked at her for a moment. The atmosphere was getting a bit too much for her; it was starting to make her feel strange. While the navy-haired girl seemed oblivious to it, she minded their position very much. _And that's not good._ A plan came to mind.

"Well then, I guess you'll just have to sleep here for the night," she replied with a smirk. "Who knows what your mom and your friend might think."

Dawn pursed her lower lip. "Hey, that's not fair at all…"

"So what's it going to be?" Cynthia crossed her arms.

Sighing, Dawn got off the bed and put on her slippers again. "Okay fine, but don't think I'm letting this go!"

Following the younger girl outside, Cynthia chose to accompany her back to her room. _It _is_ a bit cold out here…_ She thought as she stood by the door. "Well, good-night then," she said, though before she could walk away, Dawn caught her in a hug. Surprised, Cynthia looked down. "What was that for?"

"I figured I'd give you one now," Dawn replied easily. She was glad when she saw some color reach the older woman's face. "You don't want to?"

Cynthia cleared her throat slightly. "I'm just glad you didn't try this back in the room…"

"Eh, why…?"

"Nothing."

Dawn laughed. "So…"

"You could've done that tomorrow, you know," Cynthia pointed out. "We're disturbing the other guests."

"Oh, right!" said Dawn, lowering her voice. Nevertheless, she smiled. "But…I really wanted to say good-bye to _Cynthia_ not _Steven_. I'll see _him_ tomorrow, but not her."

_Somehow I wish you didn't say that…_ Cynthia thought wistfully; though she was very happy to hear that. "You really know how to make it hard to leave, don't you?"

"I do mean it though," said Dawn honestly. "I kinda wish you _weren't_ a secret agent."

Cynthia looked down the hall. "Mm…I kind of regret lying now, myself…"

"Oh, don't worry about it," Dawn began brightly. "Just do your job! You said to believe in chance, right? You'll see me again before you know it."

Cynthia smiled. "Count on it."

* * *

**  
A/N:** This was somewhat of a difficult chapter to write, but that's probably because I haven't planned things out very well. If anyone can provide an indepth outlne of Platinum then it'd be great. I do try looking things up but the more specific events aren't available unless you play the game. Anyway, I'm always trying to improve so feel free to make suggestions!

_Next_: _Things in Hearthome City come to an unexpected end, Dawn gets a new companion, and Cynthia is bored out of her mind. Has Team Galactic finally decided to strike?_


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